Knicks Media Roundup: Brunson’s WWE cameo, Quickley gets paid, former Knicks swapped
Knicks Media Roundup: Brunson’s WWE cameo, Quickley gets paid, former Knicks swapped
The Knicks might not make for the most exciting news coming off a draft event but everyone else around the organization seems to be doing all they can to help us discuss.
Jalen Brunson makes WWE debut, gives Knicks fans a scare
Bring it on, baby!
Whether you like wrestling or not, you surely got entertained on the latest episode of Friday Night Smackdown aired on June 28 from inside the Mecca as Knicks’ Jalen Brunson and Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton made smooth cameos in the WWE Universe.
Everything made perfect sense as the two franchises the boys represent clashed in the postseason with Indy getting past New York in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Now, if you watched the clip above, you might have noticed Brunson shook his left hand when he entered the ring. Welp, that was truly concerning as Brunson underwent surgery on that very hand after fracturing it against the Pacers.
Fear nothing, however, as JB himself said everything is alright and he was just playing his character as best as he could.
For what it’s worth, Brunson’s partner in crime on Friday, LA Knight, defeated heel and reigning United States Champion Logan Paul.
Mavs & Pistons Swap Former Knicks Players
The NBA finalists Dallas Mavericks and the NBA bottom-dwellers Detroit Pistons completed a trade confirmed by the NBA on June 28, swapping former Knickerbockers.
The Mavs sent veteran guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (along with three second-round picks as a sweetener) to Motown in exchange for fellow two-guard Quentin Grimes.
According to insider Marc Stein, the Mavs are trying to open some cap space to pursue upcoming free agent Kyle Thompson as he’s not expected to sign an extension with the Golden State Warriors before the market opens on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.
The Knicks drafted Hardaway Jr. with the No. 24 pick in the 2013 draft and he played two years for the franchise before a two-season detour saw him play in Atlanta before his return to Manhattan. Ultimately, the Knicks traded Hardaway to Dallas in 2019 along with Kristaps Porzingis and never saw him again.
Grimes is going home to Texas after playing in New York and Detroit last season. The Knicks acquired the guard from the Los Angeles Clippers on a draft-day trade in 2021 (no. 25 pick) and finally parted ways with QG last February sending him to Detroit in exchange for Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic.
Now Grimes is the main backup to the Luka-Kyrie pairing while Harday will give relief to Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. Sheesh...
Immanuel Quickley Fills His Bag
Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news and Shams Charania followed: Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley will sign a five-year, $175 million deal to stay with the team, as confirmed by the NBA on June 28, after getting traded north of the border from New York in December 2023.
Toronto added Quickley and fellow Knickerbocker RJ Barrett at the end of December 2023 sending OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn and Precious Achiuwa the other way in one of the blockbuster trades of the 2024 season.
The Knicks decided to move on from Quickley after failing to reach an agreement for a contract extension with the homegrown talent ahead of the regular season. The Raptors, by the look of things, were very pleased with paying IQ handsomely.
That doesn’t mean New York freed itself of ponying up a huge chunk of dough itself, mind you, as acquiring OG was always going to come with a large bill attached to it this summer. Alas, a $213 million extension was signed by Anunoby and will be paid by the Knickerbocker organization.