Nov 16, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) gestures with the ball in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA announced on Wednesday afternoon that the league has rescinded the Knicks’ 2025 second-round pick for violating league rules on free agency discussions in their pursuit of Jalen Brunson.
“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 statement reads.
The NBA also noted that the Knicks “fully cooperated with the investigation.”
The pick forfeited by the Knicks was their own pick in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft. The club still has second-round picks from the Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons (Top-55 protected) due to different trades.
In total, the Knicks have 11 first-round picks and 10 second-round picks (two are top-55 protected) over the next seven drafts.
In addition to the Brunson signing, the NBA investigated the Knicks for their hiring of assistant Rick Brunson and the signing of Isaiah Hartenstein, league sources familiar with the matter tell SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley. The league found the Knicks made no violations in hiring of Brunson — Jalen’s dad — and in signing Hartenstein.
(Hartenstein – like Brunson – is a CAA client. Knicks team president Leon Rose was a top player agent at CAA before he took the job in New York.)
The violation did not solely involve talks between Jalen and his father, Rick, sources familiar with the matter tell Begley. The NBA wouldn’t penalize a team solely for discussions between father and son. The violation involved a number of people within the Knicks organization beyond Rick, per league sources familiar with the matter.
The NBA has made an effort to crack down on agents and teams negotiating prior to the official free agency period. The Knicks, via a series of offseason trades, shed enough cap space to sign Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal.
Brunson’s contract – and the assets…
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