Leon Rose ‘Thrilled to Add’ Jalen Brunson in Free Agency

The pact between the New York Knicks and Jalen Brunson was finalized after the franchise announced that the two parties had agreed on the deal.

Brunson signed the deal as an unrestricted free agent during the first days of the free agency period nearly three weeks ago. Brunson averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game on 50.2 percent shooting from the field and 37.3 percent from long distance. During the Mavericks’ run to the Western Conference Finals, Brunson put up 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on 46.4 percent shooting from the field.

“We are beyond thrilled to add Jalen Brunson to our organization,” Knicks president Leon Rose said. “He’s a competitor, a leader, a playmaker, and most importantly, a winner. His addition is a perfect complement to the team that we are building and the culture we are establishing.”

Brunson will have a great deal of pressure to live up to after signing a near-max contract as a free agent. He’s also going from being arguably the second-best player on the Dallas to maybe the best on the Knicks. He will have to form a potent duo with Julius Randle, who is coming off a tough follow-up season to his Most Improved Player winning season in 2020-21.