The NBA is investigating the Knicks for a possible Jalen Brunson signing violation, according to a report

The NBA is investigating the New York Knicks for a possible violation regarding the offseason signing of Jaylen Brunson. according to Chris Haynes. Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million contract with New York on the first day of free agency, and the league is looking into whether the Knicks contacted the young guard before free agency began.

New York’s interest in Brunson was reported well before the start of free agency, and the Knicks were considered the favorite to trade him away from the Dallas Mavericks in the days leading up to the June 30 trade deadline, in part because of his family ties. . has with the franchise. The Knicks hired Rick Brunson, Jalen’s father, as an assistant coach weeks before free agency began, and New York general manager Leon Rose was Jalen’s agent before he took a role in the front office. When free agency opened on June 30, it was reported that Brunson would meet with both the Mavericks and Knicks, but Dallas ultimately did not have an official meeting as Brunson decided to sign with New York.

If the league finds the Knicks guilty of tampering, they could face penalties, including fines or the loss of draft picks. Last summer, the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat both surrendered a second-round pick after the league determined they had breached their signings of Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry, respectively. The same thing happened to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020 after an investigation found the team misrepresented when it agreed to a botched sign-and-trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Still, even if the Knicks are locked up for a second-round pick, it’s a bit of a slap on the wrist to get the point guard they’ve needed for a while. Brunson was instrumental in the Mavericks reaching the Western Conference Finals last season, and his performance in the first round against the Utah Jazz showed he can play a bigger role.

In the three games Brunson played without Luka Doncic against the Jazz, he averaged 32 points, 5.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds. He’s an efficient guard who doesn’t turn the ball over often and can set up an offense when needed, something the Knicks lacked. Missing out on a draft pick will be a small price to pay if Brunson can help the Knicks return to the playoffs.