The New York Knicks go all in to create cap space for Jalen Brunson. They handed over Kemba Walker’s contract to the Pistons after patching it up with the #13 pick Jalen Duran.
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The New York Knicks have been planning for an aggressive chase for Dallas Mavericks’ Brunson for a long time. And his performance late in the season provided much fuel to it along with the raise in his asking price.
Knicks had planned to go as far as clearing the cap space of at least $25 million for the man who with a bunch of role players helped Dallas stay put in the NBA playoffs in the absence of Luka Doncic.
Kemba Walker ($9.2 million), Evan Fournier ($18 million), Nerlens Noel ($9.2), or Alec Burks ($10 million), the Knicks were willing to move any or every one of them if it meant they could get the Mavs’ 25-year-old point guard. Even their fans knew it months ago.
Knicks about to risk it all for Jalen Brunson #NBAPlayoffs
— ☆≈ (@Staffords_House) April 22, 2022
Now they have made a big move towards chasing their plan that solely rests on if Brunson wouldn’t re-sign with the Mavs.
What the Knicks did tonight:
NYK trades 11th pick to OKC
OKC trades 3 firsts (23 DEN, DET, WASH) to NYK
NYK then trades 23 DEN, 4 seconds to CHA for 13th pick
NYK then trade 13th pick & Kemba Walker to DET for MKE’s 25 first
NYK trades 11, Kemba, 4 2nds & gets 3 future 1sts
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 24, 2022
Jalen Brunson might not even come to New York, still, the Knicks gave away their 11th pick and then Jalen Duran
Mark Cuban has been pretty straightforward in making it obvious that he’d be willing to go into luxury tax if it means he could bring back Jalen for the next year.
And still, the Knicks are going all in their pursuit of the 2x NCAA champ. They have sent Walker and Jalen Duran, the 13th pick of the 2022 draft whom they just acquired from the Charlotte Hornets.
This might have made two of the biggest Knicks supporters, Stephen A. Smith and Spike Lee sick to their stomachs along with everyone else in New York.
Pain. pic.twitter.com/6YsLaipCQR
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) June 24, 2022
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) June 24, 2022
Knicks saw the Nets looking like the biggest fuck ups in the city today and said not on my watch https://t.co/3kMM50ZbwQ
— ✨America Is Musty✨ (@DragonflyJonez) June 24, 2022
“So the Knicks don’t have anyone.”
Two Knicks fans trying to figure out what just happened is comedy pic.twitter.com/5R9BBkNCuZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 24, 2022
THE KNICKS GOT THEIR MAN pic.twitter.com/DALLzgbOOZ
— The Knicks Wall (@TheKnicksWall) June 24, 2022