"Not a slight on Jalen Brunson": Adrian Wojnarowski reveals Knicks organization agrees with Becky Hammon's 'size' take

NBA analyst Adrian Wojnarowski revealed that the New York Knicks are seeking to acquire a star player larger than Jalen Brunson. He also noted that the organization is in agreement with Becky Hammon's perspective that the All-Star guard was not a "1A" player necessary for them to win a championship.

In an NBA Today segment, Wojnarowski noted that the Knicks' stance that their star guard isn't the primary player isn't a slight against Jalen Brunson.

“The Knicks agree with (Hammon). That's not a slight on Jalen Brunson. He has transformed that organization,” he said, “But the reason the Knicks are hoarding assets, they want to—if one becomes available—get a 1st or 2nd team All-NBA level player.”

In December, Hammon said New York would need to acquire a bigger star than Brunson if it aspires to win a championship.

Wojnarowski suggested that the Knicks could be eyeing a star player at the level of Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo or LeBron James with the assets they have collected. The Knicks have 11 first-round draft picks between 2024 and 2030.

“(To win) championships ... you have to have one of those guys. That doesn't diminish what Brunson has meant. ... He is one of the great success stories in this league from a second-round pick," Wojnarowski said.

This season, Jalen Brunson has led the Knicks to a 35-34 record, placing them fourth in the Eastern Conference, averaging 27.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.7 rebounds.

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Jalen Brunson wanted to stay with the Mavericks before heading to New York

Jalen Brunson joined the New York Knicks in the summer of 2022 on a four-year, $104 million deal following unsuccessful contract extension negotiations with the Mavericks.

Earlier reports suggested that the Mavericks could have extended a four-year, $55 million contract to Brunson before his standout season.

On the "All The Smoke" podcast hosted by former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, Brunson discussed the sequence of events that led to his exit from the Dallas Mavericks before he joined the Knicks.

He said that he had wanted to stay with the Mavericks, which selected him 33rd overall in 2018.

"I really did want to stay in Dallas," Brunson said. "I think before my fourth season in Dallas, my last season in Dallas, we tried to extend our contract. Whatever we can get, the most we can get was, like, four years and $55 million. We wanted to do that. I wanted to stay there."

Brunson said that New York was a logical choice for him, as it was close to his home.

"I was close to home — two hours away from where I was, an hour away from where I was born. Parents over the East Coast, whole families on the East Coast. So I started thinking, like, 'Could this be a real thing?' And so, then, here we are."

The NBA penalized the Knicks for their recruitment of Brunson. Following a five-month investigation into the Knicks' recruitment of Jalen Brunson, the NBA revoked New York's 2025 second-round pick.

The league found that the Knicks had "violated league rules governing the timing of this season’s free agency discussions."