Jalen Brunson says family was the no.1 reason he chose Knicks over Mavericks

Jalen Brunson was the biggest signing of the offseason for the New York Knicks and he cited one reason he left the Dallas Mavericks for New York, family. His strong ties with the Knicks have long been discussed as the reason for his move to New York.

Speaking with the team’s in-house network, Brunson highlighted that the “comfort level” he has with the Knicks is hard to pass up. The Knicks set Brunson as a priority ahead of the free agency and offered him $104 million, four-years contract.

It’s the highest offer he received, with the Mavs offering just around $22 million annually on a five-year deal. Obviously, Brunson was set his sights on signing with the Knicks once he became an unrestricted free agent.

“It’s family,” Brunson said, via New York Daily News (h/t clutchpoints.com). “It’s a comfort level to this and it’s something I couldn’t turn a blind eye to. That these guys have my interest at heart. I think (Knicks president Leon Rose) probably saw me before my dad did. So it’s just a one big family for me, and I’m super excited.”

Brunson averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists last season, on 50.2% from the field and 37.3% from beyond the arc. He helped Dallas reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2011 and assumed a bigger roller in a contending team.

In the Knicks, he will be the starting point guard and will have a bigger role in the offensive end. New York is hoping to add Donovan Mitchell alongside the Villanova product in the near future and create an elite backcourt duo ahead of the 2022-23 regular season campaign.

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