Jalen Brunson Breaks Silence About Knicks’ Surprise Decision Before Sending Message to 14 Teammates Amid Trade Rumors

Sometimes, “it’s just business” cuts a little too deep. It stops feeling professional when the bond goes beyond Xs and Os—when the system that built you suddenly lets go of the one who believed in you most. That’s exactly the emotion swirling around Madison Square Garden after the Knicks’ shocking decision to part ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau. And while fans were stunned, no one felt the sting quite like Jalen Brunson—Thibs’ handpicked floor general.

It does make sense for the lads to expect a change when the targets were a far cry. But Brunson might be Thibs’ “prodigal son” a little too literally. He was the assistant coach when JB’s dad, Rick, was a part of the late 90s Knicks. Later, Rick served as an assistant on Thibodeau’s staff with both the Bulls and Timberwolves before reuniting again on the Knicks. It was literally a case of “I saw him grow up” for Thibs. And for that, with a lot more professional memories, Jalen is nothing but grateful.

“I’ve known him my entire life, but I remember like having conversations and moments with him when I was in eighth grade, when we moved to Chicago. Um, and just to see that where we are now, like helping become two time All-Star, two time All-NBA. The things he’s done for me, obviously individually, I’m so grateful for. Just because like he had the—that confidence in me that I knew I had, but like it’s great to see someone push it, push it to be better,” said Brunson on the latest of The Roommates.

Now’s no time to fret, though. You’re the most popular team in the league, you gotta look forward. Searching for a new head coach is obviously the agenda. But that’s not all Jalen Brunson had to say on the podcast. If what he spoke about improvements turns out to be true, the Knicks might have to make the Kevin Durant move regardless of who’s at the helm.

Jalen Brunson thinks Knicks needs to improve their finishing game

Unfortunately for the Knicks, the latest chapter in their long-standing playoff feud with the Pacers ended the same way too many of them have—with heartbreak. And this time, the signs were loud and clear, courtesy of two Indiana icons: Reggie Miller and Tyrese Haliburton. One from the past, one from the present, both flashing the same trademark: choking gestures. And frankly, that’s what Jalen Brunson is trying to say—how many more times do the Pacers have to shove comeback wins down New York’s throat before the Knicks realize what their real problem is? It’s not talent. It’s not effort. It’s finishing.

“I feel like if we win Game 1, it changes a lot. But we have to learn how to finish the game. I don’t know what else to say to that because we were playing great up until the last three, four minutes of the game,” Brunson said on his podcast, ‘The Roommates Show’.

And he’s not wrong. The Knicks were rolling—until they weren’t. When it mattered most, they couldn’t close. Game 1’s 17-point lead that evaporated by Nesmith’s 3-point flurry and Haliburton’s dagger certainly are a stark reminder for the same. That’s the part that stings. It wasn’t just a loss; it was a collapse. Again. What makes it worse is how much of the burden falls on Brunson’s shoulders.

But if the rumblings are real, help could be on the way. Kevin Durant’s name has entered the conversation—again. If there’s ever been a time for the Knicks to push all their chips in, it’s now. Because one thing’s for sure: Brunson needs a closer beside him, not just a supporting cast.

“Brunson needs help and he needs help in the fourth quarter. See, he gonna get you there. But then Indiana loaded up against him and everybody else couldn’t deliver. So they need a guy like Kevin Durant who could say, “Okay, Brunson, you get us there, but I’m gonna take us home”… And so you need a person like Kevin Durant who also can put a team into foul trouble. See, it’s not just his scoring ability, but he also puts you in foul trouble. And so that was a wake up call against the Pacers with the Knicks. They’re not deep enough and then they’re too slow as a team playing the two bigs,” said Magic Johnson.

It’s not often a firing feels as bad as this one. But Tom Thibodeau was more than just another coach for Jalen Brunson. It’s now upto him to finish the project they undertook together for years. Do you think Kevin Durant is the one to bring it home for them?

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