Jalen Brunson defends dad Rick as NBA investigates Knicks coach’s promotion
NY Post
PHOENIX — Jalen Brunson didn’t want to comment on the NBA looking into his father’s promotion and contract as a potential salary-cap circumvention, but the point guard certainly had a message to anybody questioning Rick Brunson’s coaching credentials.
“He’s more than qualified for that position,” Jalen Brunson said Wednesday morning.
“He’s a person who has been around the NBA for a long time, who has been around [Tom Thibodeau] for longer than he’s been around the NBA. I think he understands the business, I think he understands the game, I think he understands the head coach. So he’s more than qualified. Look at the way he’s taught me and raised me and how I’ve seen him impact others in all different levels of basketball — high school, college, pros.”
Late Monday night, the Knicks issued a statement condemning the NBA for probing Rick’s promotion to lead assistant.
The assumption is the NBA was looking into the possibility of the pay raise being tied to Jalen taking a team-friendly contract extension in the same offseason.
If that were the case, there’s an argument it represents cap circumvention.