Knicks fire back at NBA’s investigation of Rick Brunson’s promotion

Is Adam Silver just a little bit mad at the New York Knicks resurgence?

The NBA is investigating the New York Knicks’ promotion of Rick Brunson to assistant coach before this season, sparking allegations of potential salary cap circumvention tied to his son, Jalen Brunson.

According to SNY’s Ian Begley and New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, the league is studying whether Rick’s promotion to lead assistant coach was used to offset the team-friendly contract Jalen signed during the offseason, a move that would violate cap rules.

Brunson was promoted this summer to replace Johnnie Bryant, who left the Knicks to join the Cleveland Cavaliers in a similar role.

MSG Sports, the Knicks’ parent company, lost no time and issued a bold-worded response to the NBA’s investigation.

“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. 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.” — MSG Sports

Truth be told, the NBA might be—or just want to be—a little off here.

Rick Brunson joined the Knicks’ coaching staff in 2022, the same year the team signed Jalen as a free agent, but it’s not that he’s a newbie at his thing.

For context, however, it’s also true that this offseason, Jalen signed a contract extension that was widely labeled as a legitimate team-friendly deal, leaving money on the table by re-signing early rather than testing the open market next season and re-signing for more money with the Knicks or any other franchise, for that matter.

The league’s scrutiny is heightened by the Knicks’ recent history with tampering, at least in the eyes of the Association. Last year, the NBA stripped New York of a 2025 second-round pick after determining that the team violated tampering rules during Jalen Brunson’s free agency process… because Jalen supposedly talked to his pops at a summer barbeque. For talking to his father! Just imagine!

Despite the investigation, Rick’s résumé as an assistant coach spans over a decade, including stints with the Denver Nuggets, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, and Minnesota Timberwolves. He has also worked under Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau in multiple roles, including during Thibodeau’s tenures in Chicago and Minnesota.

Simply put, as Bondy wrote, “It’s not like [Rick] was plucked out of obscurity to become the top assistant.”

On top of the tampering accusations, this latest clash between the NBA and the Knicks comes amid tensions between James Dolan and Commissioner Adam Silver.

Dolan has publicly opposed several league initiatives, including revenue-sharing policies and the NBA’s new media rights deal.

Is there anything a little smelly here? Hmmm…