Jalen Brunson made headlines this summer from signing a four-year, $156.5 million sweetheart extension to remain with the Knicks — leaving as much as $113 million on the table.
Flying under the radar this summer, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson — Jalen’s father — received a promotion and a raise within the Knicks organization.
That led to the NBA league office contacting the Knicks about the timing of Rick’s raise — did New York violate the league’s salary cap rules by agreeing to help his father if Jalen signed for less? — SNY.TV’s Ian Begley reports. The Knicks handled the news of that investigation in the most James Dolan way possible, releasing an aggressive, preemptive statement that pushes back on the entire premise of the investigation.
“In response to the widespread NBA investigation into the promotion of Rick Brunson, Brunson took (former associate head coach) Johnnie Bryant’s place and assumed the same salary as Bryant. It is offensive that anyone would claim that Rick did not deserve the promotion. Rick has done a tremendous job and will continue to do so. We see this as more harassment from the Knicks because of our opposition to certain NBA issues.
Dolan sees a conspiracy everywhere. In this case, Dolan — whose family fortune came primarily from Cablevision, a cable television company (which later expanded to home internet and more) — was critical of the NBA.
a new 11-year, $76 billion television rights deal that moves the league toward more streaming options (the Dolans also own the cable-driven MSG Network that broadcasts Knicks games). That prompted the last line of the statement — “We see this as more harassment of the Knicks because of our opposition to certain NBA issues.” Dolan has repeatedly criticized NBA commissioner Adam Silver, complaining about transparency issues and other concerns, and last year stepped down from seats on the NBA’s influential advisory/finance and media committees.
Rick Brunson being hired on Tom Thibodeau’s staff in 2022, before Jalen Brunson signed there, was no coincidence. Nor was it a conspiracy per se. The elder Brunson, who played nine years in the NBA, was on Thibodeau’s coaching staff in two other stops before New York. Brunson was a trusted Thibodeau assistant. That said, the NBA investigated Jalen Brunson’s signing in New York and said the team contacted the free agent before it was officially allowed, and because of that mishandling stripped the Knicks of their 2025 second-round pick.
The elder Brunson’s promotion this summer has been in line with what other top assistants are doing around the NBA, Begley reports.
