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The NBA has reportedly launched a probe into the Knicks' promotion of assistant coach Rick Brunson, per Ian Begley of SNY. The league investigation has already angered members of New York's franchise.
Brunson is the father of Knicks All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson. The elder Brunson was recently promoted on Tom Thibodeau's coaching staff, a move that corresponded with the departure of former associate head coach Johnnie Bryant.
Here's why the NBA has been "poking around," how the Knicks have responded, and what it may mean moving forward.
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Rick Brunson investigation, explained
The investigation is rooted in an insinuation that Brunson's promotion is an attempt to circumnavigate the league salary cap.
During the 2024 offseason, Jalen Brunson left over $100 million on the table by signing a team-friendly contract extension with the Knicks. The belief is that Jalen Brunson received less money on New York's books, but his father's promotion serves as compensation to make up for some of the discrepancy.
The terms of Rick Brunson's contract after being promoted are unclear. With Thibodeau reportedly earning around $10 million annually, Brunson's assistant coach salary would be historically large to make up a near-$113 million difference.
Rick Brunson is a retired nine-year NBA veteran and spent some of his playing career with Thibodeau. His credentials also include decades of coaching experience as an assistant with Denver, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minnesota before joining New York in 2022, the same year the franchise signed Jalen Brunson.
It's worth noting that the Knicks were docked a second-round pick after an investigation showed the franchise violated tampering violations to sign Jalen Brunson.
New York offered the following statement in response to the reported NBA 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.
Ahead of the Knicks' meeting with the Wizards on Monday, Begley provided more context on the final sentence in the statement. The mention of "harassment" and "opposition to certain NBA matters" refers to an ongoing feud between Knicks executive chairman James Dolan and NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
In the past six months, Dolan has expressed displeasure with the league's revenue-sharing system and a "lack of transparency" on the league's operating budget and process of electing a Board of Governors chair. Dolan's complaints have reportedly not been received well by Silver.
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