How the Knicks won Jalen Brunson away from the Mavericks

The Mavericks may have believed they could keep Jalen Brunson in Dallas. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, they underestimated one important factor. “The Knicks were his actual family.” Shelburne detailed Brunson’s longstanding ties to the Knicks organization in a lengthy profile, noting that team president Leon Rose previously represented both Brunson and his father, Rick Brunson, as an agent. When the Knicks hired Rick Brunson as an assistant coach shortly before Jalen Brunson reached free agency in 2022, many around the league viewed New York as the favorite to land the talented guard. “I think Jalen had a loyalty to...