Knicks Defend Rick Brunson's Promotion, Call Rumored NBA Investigation 'Offensive'
Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacek
Featured Columnist IVNovember 19, 2024
The New York Knicks are not happy with rumors the NBA is investigating their promotion of Rick Brunson, who is the father of Jalen Brunson, to lead assistant coach.
"In response to the rumored NBA investigation into Rick Brunson's promotion, Brunson took Johnnie Bryant's place and assumed the same salary as Bryant," MSG Sports said in a statement Monday, per Ian Begley of SNY. "It's offensive that anyone would claim Rick didn't deserve the promotion, Rick has done a tremendous job and will continue to do so. We see this as more harassment of the Knicks due to our opposition to certain NBA matters."
New York hired Brunson during the 2022 offseason, which was the same one it signed his son as a point guard. NBA insider Chris Haynes reported the league reached out to the Knicks with questions about the timing of the situation.
Stefan Bondy of The New York Post noted the NBA is investigating the promotion "as a type of cap circumvention."
It's not as if the Knicks hired someone with no experience in Rick Brunson.
Rather, he was previously an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets and Minnesota Timberwolves before coming to New York. What's more, he was on Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau's staff with both the Bulls and Timberwolves.
Thibodeau was familiar with Brunson from previous stops and surely had a role in the decision to hire him.
Still, the NBA did strip the Knicks of a 2025 second-round pick for tampering with Jalen Brunson during free agency, so there have been questions about the entire process in the past.
New York surely doesn't regret signing Brunson, as he was an All-Star and All-NBA second-team selection who finished fifth in MVP voting last season while averaging 28.7 points, 6.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game.
He led the Knicks to the second round of the playoffs in each of his first two seasons with the league, which was notable since they hadn't even been to the postseason since the 2012-13 campaign.
Brunson's presence is a major reason why New York could be a realistic factor in the Eastern Conference again this season.
