The NBA and the New York Knicks are in a disagreement about Rick Brunson’s recent promotion to assistant coach under Tom Thibodeau.
NBA Concerns Over Promotion
The league is curious if this move breaks any salary cap rules. They suspect that Rick’s new position might be a way to make up for his son Jalen’s pay cut after he signed a four-year, $156 million contract extension. Jalen could have waited until 2025 for a bigger payday of $270 million but chose otherwise.
Knicks’ Response to Allegations
MSG Sports fired back at these claims, calling them “harassment” and “offensive.” They explained that Rick took over Johnnie Bryantโs role without any extra perks or special pay. The Knicks believe these accusations are unfair and just another way the NBA is picking on them.
โโIn response to the rumored NBA investigation into Rick Brunsonโs promotion, Brunson took (former associate head coach) Johnnie Bryantโs place and assumed the same salary as Bryant. It’s offensive that anyone would claim Rick didnโt 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.”
Statement from MSG Sports:
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes)
Tensions Between Knicks and NBA
The Knicks have been vocal about their issues with NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently. Back in September, James Dolan criticized how things were being handled by sending a letter refusing to vote on some big decisions like the league’s budget and choosing a new Board of Governors chair. He felt there was not enough openness from the league.
Dolan also didn’t hold back when it came to discussing revenue-sharing policies in June, expressing his dissatisfaction with how things were being managed.
Past Investigations
Rick joined the Knicks in 2022 around the same time Jalen did, which led to an investigation by the NBA into possible rule-breaking by the team. By December 2022, it was found that they had indeed broken some rules regarding free agency discussions, costing them their 2025 second-round draft pick.
Fans feel like this drama just keeps going!
