Knicks penalized for tampering in Jalen Brunson negotiations

Jalen Brunson (Google Images)

The fact that the New York Knicks signed Jalen Brunson of New Brunswick, New Jersey to a four-year deal worth $104 million in the NBA offseason came as zero surprise. The fact that the Knicks were interested in the Villanova guard had been news prior to the official announcement being made on July 12, 2022.

Now the Knicks have been penalized for tampering in the Brunson negotiations. As a result, New York has had their second round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft taken away according to Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated on Wednesday.

Brunson is enjoying a breakout season on Broadway after four seasons with the Dallas Mavericks from 2018 to 2022. He is averaging 20.4 points per game, 6.3 assists per game, 3.2 rebounds per game, and 1.1 steals per game with the Knicks. He also has a field goal percentage of .461, three point percentage of .366, and a free throw percentage of .891.

Brunson’s best game with the Knicks in 2022-23 came on November 21 in a 129-119 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Brunson had a season-high 34 points.

In the month of December, the Knicks have been red hot. They are winners of eight of their last nine games. New York actually had their eight-game winning streak stopped on Wednesday when they were beaten 113-106 to the Toronto Raptors. It was a huge game for Raptors power forward Pascal Siakam, who scored 52 points. That was the second most points a Raptors player has ever scored in a game. Only Fred VanVleet has more, as he scored 54 points in a 123-108 Raptors win in Orlando on February 2, 2021. 

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