Report: Knicks trade Noel, Burks to Pistons in move to free up more cap space

The Knicks’ plan to offer Jalen Brunson a big-money free agent contract — one he is very likely to accept — took a big step forward Tuesday night.

The Knicks are trading center Nerlens Noel and guard Alec Burks into the Pistons’ cap space, creating more room for them to make a big offer to Brunson. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke the news of the deal.

The Knicks are trading center Nerlens Noel and guard Alec Burks to the Pistons, sources tell ESPN. The Knicks will unload $19M more in salary, clearing the way for cap space to try and sign free agent guard Jalen Brunson.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

New York will send Detroit back its 2023 second-round pick, a 2024 second-round pick via Miami and $6 million, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

While there had been rumors of a Clippers trade with the Knicks for Noel earlier in the day, that leak may have been leverage to push the Pistons trade over the finish line. New York’s trade with Detroit fits what the Knicks want — cap space to use in the pursuit of Brunson, their top target (even more than Kyrie Irving when New York was mentioned in those rumors. Marc Stein put it well in an email newsletter sent out less than an hour before the trade hit.

The New York Knicks offer Jalen Brunson an enticing opportunity to run his own team. They play in a conference that potentially offers Brunson a more favorable path to All-Star status. The Knicks can also put Brunson alongside both his father (new Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson) and virtual second father (Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose) every day.

It’s a combination of lures that, when packaged with a forthcoming four-year contract offer from the Knicks expected to reach (or even cross) the $100 million threshold, has the Dallas Mavericks resigned to losing Brunson in free agency.

The Knicks can now have about $30 million in cap space, or enough to offer Brunson a max contract if they want (a 25% max, to be precise). That may get too rich for the Mavericks.

There has to be a price point for Dallas to walk away from Jalen Brunson.

Signing the guard to a $30M contract would have cost the Mavericks a total of $130M in salary/tax in one season for Brunson alone.

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 29, 2022

One more note on the Knicks: The players they have traded on draft night and Tuesday to free up cap space — which looks like a good move right now — were all players the team signed last offseason.

Important to note the three players Leon Rose has traded over the last five days were all signed by Leon Rose 12 months ago.

NY being forced to trade seven draft picks this summer in order to dump three players they brought in last summer … well, that’s not great.

— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) June 29, 2022

As for the Pistons, they say they are going to keep Noel and Burks.

Detroit is eager to utilize center Nerlens Noel and guards Alec Burks next season. GM Troy Weaver had Noel on his team in Oklahoma City, and Burks is an ideal veteran to mentor the Pistons talented young group of guards.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022

Of course, that’s exactly what a GM would say to ensure he gets the maximum value when re-trading a player later. “We don’t want to give him up, he’s such a good fit for us, but if the offer is strong enough...”

The real loser in this trade is Luka Doncic and the Mavericks, who are going to lose their No. 2 option, a guy who stepped up in the playoffs. Dallas has to be looking for his replacement.