The New York Knicks made a splash last summer signing Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $100 million deal.
That move quickly paid dividends, as Brunson emerged to be precisely the type of leader and floor general the Knicks needed.
Following an impressive run that saw them make the second round of the NBA playoffs, New York has a lot of momentum. Now the front office just needs to build on it.
In recent days, disgruntled Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine has increasingly been linked to the Knicks. That said, it doesn’t appear as though he actually wants to come to New York.
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, this boils down to a business matter above all else.
“A source said the LaVine camp isn’t interested in dealing with the Knicks, who have a reputation around the league of favoring clients of CAA, the agency that employed Leon Rose before his move to the Knicks front office,” he wrote.
“Of course, the Knicks don’t need such approval to make a trade. But landmines are set and often detonated under those circumstances.
LaVine, of course, is represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. There are currently four teams vying for his services, but he has one squad he would prefer to land with.
In recent days New York has also been linked to potential trade involving Paul George. They were one of two teams connected to the Los Angeles Clippers star, but ultimately backed away from getting anything done ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft. It didn’t take long for the real reason why to emerge.
Impressive stuff from the Baltimore Ravens. https://t.co/irLUFroWYl
— Game 7 (@game7__) June 24, 2023
The Knicks are currently in a state of flux.
By all accounts, the front office seems aware that changes need to be made – but what those changes will be remains unclear.
The Knicks want to surround Brunson with some talent this summer. Time will tell who they end up getting, but barring something crazy happening, it almost certainly won’t be LaVine.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.