The Knicks will lose a second-round draft pick in 2025 for engaging in early free-agency discussions with Jalen Brunson before league rules allowed, the NBA announced on Wednesday. The NBA said that the Knicks fully cooperated with their investigation.
“This outcome reflected a finding, following an investigation, that the Knicks engaged in free agency discussions involving Jalen Brunson prior to the date when such discussions were permitted,” the league said in a statement.
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The punishment was the result of a nearly five-month investigation that the NBA opened up in August. Brunson had agreed to a four-year, $106 million contract early in free agency with the Knicks and has been worth the price he was signed at.
Brunson has given New York its first true point guard in quite some time and he has been averaging 20.8 points and 6.2 assists. The Knicks entered Wednesday Night’s game with the Toronto Raptors in sixth in the Eastern Conference, due in part to the play of Brunson.
The slap on the wrist handed down by the NBA will likely do little to impact the Knicks, who still have second-round picks from the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons due to trades. New York also has 11 first-round picks and eight second-round picks over the next seven drafts.
