Heat Rumors: Jalen Brunson Meeting Isn't Scheduled for Start of NBA Free Agency
June 30, 2022
Despite rumblings that Jalen Brunson is going to meet with multiple teams, one of the clubs he's been connected to reportedly doesn't have anything scheduled with him when free agency begins.
Per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, the Miami Heat aren't planning to meet with Brunson, nor was any such meeting on the books for Thursday.
Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported on Wednesday that Brunson is scheduled to meet with the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks on the first day of free agency.
Haynes, who cited the Heat as a "darkhorse team in play" for Brunson, noted they have secured a meeting with the 25-year-old, but he didn't specify if that was also going to happen on Thursday.
The Heat would have to work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Mavs if that's where Brunson decides he wants to play.
It's widely assumed that Brunson is going to end up signing with the Knicks. They have made a series of trades leading up to the start of free agency in an attempt to clear out enough cap space to add a large salary.
Per The Athletic's Tim Cato, the Mavericks have been "anticipating" Brunson's likely departure for weeks, and "it’s now seen as a certainty" that he will end up in New York when free agency opens.
According to Haynes, the Knicks are prepared to offer Brunson $110 million over four years. ESPN's Tim MacMahon noted the Mavs' cutoff for the Villanova alum is "more than Fred VanVleet money," which is $110 million over five years ($22 million per season).
It's not impossible for the Heat to end up getting a meeting with Brunson, but they also have other big decisions to make this offseason. B/R's Jake Fischer reported Tyler Herro will likely get an extension worth around $25 million per season.
Miami had the best record in the Eastern Conference last season (53-29), but they lost to the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.
Brunson is coming off a breakout 2021-22 campaign in Dallas. He set career highs in scoring average (16.3 points per game), assists (4.8) and rebounds (3.9).