LAS VEGAS — Quentin Grimes’ goal was to “dominate” summer league play.

It took him some time Friday night, but the Knicks’ young guard followed through in his team’s opening game.

After missing eight consecutive shots, Grimes took off in the second half, leading the Knicks to a 101-88 victory over the defending Las Vegas Summer League champion Warriors at the Thomas and Mack Center.

With team president Leon Rose, owner James Dolan coach Tom Thibodeau and teammates Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley, Cam Reddish and Obi Toppin in attendance, Grimes finished with 24 points, eight assists, four rebounds, two steals and just one turnover in 32 quality minutes .

“I feel like I kind of dominated or almost got close in the second half,” Grimes said. “Just try to dominate offensively, defensively by being in the right positions. It’s not always about making shots.”

While his perimeter jumper was off for most of the night — the former first-round pick out of Houston went 4-for-14 from 3-point range — the 6-foot-4 Grimes kept on shooting.

Even after hitting two in a row from distance early in the third quarter to get going, Grimes didn’t settle for long jumpers. He attacked the basket and finished through contract, something he has worked on this offseason to complement his 3-point shot. He hit seven of his last 12 shots, and also was a strong distributor on this night.

“Hopefully I’ll have a bigger role as a playmaker [this year] and also stick to my roots as a defensive player and as a shooter,” he said.

This is a crucial offseason for Grimes, the best Knicks rookie last year, whose progress was set back by a knee injury late in the year. Thibodeau has raved about his defense, which may give Grimes a shot at a starting role in the backcourt next year, alongside newcomer Jalen Brunson.

He is hoping to make a statement over the next 10 days in Las Vegas. With that in mind, Friday night was a strong start for him.

Feron Hunt added 17 points, Jericho Sims had 16 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks and Miles McBride chipped in 14 points and seven assists in the win.

Moses Moody, a lottery pick a year ago, led all scorers with 34 points for the Warriors.

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LAS VEGAS — The Taj Gibson era with the Knicks has come to a close.

The veteran center, a Tom Thibodeau favorite going back to their days with the Bulls, was waived on Friday, the team announced, creating $5.1 million in cap space.

The 37-year-old Gibson, who spent the last three seasons with the Knicks, is expected to sign with the Wizards, The Athletic reported. The Knicks have three centers on their roster in Mitchell Robinson, newcomer Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims, making Gibson somewhat expendable. Even at his age, Gibson is still a quality defender and has improved as a 3-point shooter, hitting 15-of-38 attempts last season.

The Knicks have yet to announce their free agent signings — the team has agreed to deals with free agent point guard Jalen Brunson, Hartenstein and Robinson — despite the moratorium being lifted on Wednesday.

Gibson’s release cleared a second roster spot for the Knicks, who already have Trevor Keels and Feron Hunt on two-way deals.

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LAS VEGAS — If there are hard feelings between the Mavericks and the Knicks over Jalen Brunson, Mark Cuban did a good job of hiding any animosity.

The Dallas owner had only positive things to say on Friday about the point guard who has agreed to a four-year, $104 million deal to join the Knicks.

“Jalen earned the right to do that,” Cuban told The Post from the NBA summer league at the Thomas and Mack Center. “NBA teams always say, well, it’s a business when you trade somebody or whatever, and it’s a business. He earned the right to make a decision as a free agent. So he made the choice. More power to him. I wish him nothing but the best.

“Jalen is a great basketball player. That’s why we wanted to keep him. The Knicks will love him; the city will love him. The thing about Jalen, you give him a task and tell him where to improve his game, he’ll work his ass off to do it. You guys got a good one.”

Brunson, 25, developed into a difference-maker with the Mavericks after getting selected in the second round in 2018. He helped Dallas reach the Western Conference final this year after a breakout postseason performance saw him average 21.6 points in 18 playoff games.

When asked about reports of potential tampering by the Knicks, Cuban smiled.

“That’s up to the NBA, that’s not my job” the owner said.

The Knicks hired Brunson’s father, Rick, to join coach Tom Thibodeau’s staff, and team president Leon Rose’s son, Sam, is Brunson’s agent.

Cuban also didn’t have a problem with Knicks executives William Wesley and Allan Houston, along with forward Julius Randle, attending an opening-round playoff game between the Mavericks and Jazz, which drew headlines at the time.

“Oh, I don’t care. They can buy tickets,” Cuban said. “Being at a playoff game doesn’t change anything.”

Two other members of the Mavericks, coach Jason Kidd and former Knick Reggie Bullock, also discussed Brunson’s departure on Friday.

“We can’t replace Brunson. He’s a great player,” Kidd said on ESPN. “I’m happy for him and his family, signing a deal in New York. It’s well deserved. We wanted him back, but he picked New York.”

Bullock, who enjoyed a strong season with the Knicks in 2020-21 but wasn’t brought back, had similar positive things to say about Brunson.

He did offer an interesting thought on him joining the Knicks, though.

“That’s his problem, that’s him,” Bullock, who is close with Randle and Thibodeau, told The Post. He later said: “He’ll do great. Great off-the-court guy. … Great point guard, he works hard, he’s going to lead them into the right direction. ”

Cuban declined to say if the Mavericks considered upping their offer to Brunson. ESPN had reported they were only willing to offer him a five-year deal in the ballpark of the four-year, $85 million deal Raptors guard Fred VanVleet signed in 2020. Brunson declined a four-year, $55.5 million contract from Dallas after the trade deadline, and now he is a Knick.

“I’m happy for him. It’s not like he was just some guy, well, he was just a player, he got his money, ”Cuban said. “He’s a good guy, man. He’s got a heart of gold. There’s nothing not to like.”

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The Knicks are allowed to employ Jalen Brunson on Wednesday, the first day free agents can officially sign, and when the deal is done a good number of New Yorkers will raise a glass in response. The city always has been madly in love with point guards, and it has been some time since the Knicks had a young one who is worth a damn.

They have been looking for another Walt Frazier about as long as the Jets have been looking for another Joe Namath, and while we’re on the subject of local quarterbacks, here’s an interesting question to ask and answer:

If you had to invest in a local one over the next four years, would you sink your money into Brunson, Zach Wilson or Daniel Jones?

I’d probably bet on Brunson, because he’s the QB who already has proven he can score a lot of points in winning playoff performances. After his Mavericks lost to the eventual-champion Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, it was pretty clear Brunson was going to bolt Dallas for his dad’s former team in the big city — now run by his dad’s former agent, Leon Rose, father to Jalen’s current agent, Sam. The Knicks erased all doubt when they hired Rick Brunson as an assistant coach.

tampering? The whole friggin’ league has been tampering for decades. The Knicks once lost Pat Riley and the prospect of winning multiple championships to the tampering Heat. All these years later, they will pay the fine or cough up the second-round pick or do whatever for Jalen Brunson and move on.

A two-time national champ at Villanova, Brunson is the ultimate crafty left-hander, an athlete who compensates for his lack of high-end athleticism by playing the angles, by seeing things his opponents don’t see and by using his squatty 6 -foot-1 body as the hammer needed to create his workspace. Among NBA guards last season, Brunson owned the fourth-best shooting percentage in the paint (51.4), the fifth-best in the restricted area (67.2), the eighth-best on midrange shots (47.3), and the third-best on corner 3s (50.0). The guy can play.

And now the bad news. (It’s the Knicks, remember? There has to be bad news.) This time around, even after Rose delivered Tom Thibodeau a player he actually wants, the Knicks don’t seem like a safe bet to return to the main-draw playoffs next season after missing the postseason altogether last year. They should hurdle the unraveling Brooklyn Nets and maybe pass another team or two in a loaded Eastern Conference. But barring a big summer move to come, the additions of Brunson and backup center Isaiah Hartenstein and the re-signing of Mitchell Robinson leave the Knicks looking like a play-in team.

That’s not ideal in Year 3 of Thibodeau’s program, especially after the stunning Year 1 breakthrough suggested the Knicks might be a whole lot closer to legitimate contention than that.

Of course, this might be a different conversation had Rose traded for Dejounte Murray, acquired instead by Atlanta, the very playoff opponent that bounced the Knicks from the first round in 2021. Murray and Brunson in the backcourt would have gotten people’s attention in the Eastern Conference places that matter.

But now it’s hard to see how the Knicks gained significant ground on the conference-champion Celtics, who got a bit better (via Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari), and on the Miamis, Milwaukees, Phillys, and Torontos. Kevin Durant might end up on one of those teams, negating whatever benefits the Knicks thought they were getting from the Nets’ implosion.

Those 11 first-round picks over the next seven years? Rose needs to figure out how to convert those assets into better players sooner rather than later. None of his top three Knicks — RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Brunson — is good enough to be the lead franchise player on a title contender or to be the second-best player on a championship team.

That doesn’t mean the Knicks are completely lost — they’re not. Barrett might develop into a consistent force, and Randle might shake off a bummer of a season, in all ways, and return to something approximating his Most Improved Player form. Thibodeau might have a bounce-back year too, and his new point guard — the son of his former assistant in Chicago and Minnesota — might make his four-year, $104 million deal seem smart.

Though Brunson clearly benefited from the otherworldly presence of Luka Doncic, and all the attention Luka commanded, he is not merely a creation of the partnership. Brunson shot better than 50 percent from the field in each of the last two seasons, and averaged 21.6 points in the Mavs’ 18-game playoff run. At age 25, he could be a very good long-term NBA starter, but probably not a great one. I could see him as another Fred VanVleet, an opportunistic winner who will make two or three All-Star teams.

All in all, the Knicks could do a lot worse than that. they got better, finally, at the spot that New Yorkers care about more than any other; their romantic connection to that traffic-cop spot inspired Brooklyn’s fleeing Mr. Durant, of all filmmakers, to produce a Showtime documentary titled “NYC Point Gods” airing later this month.

But ending a drought at that position doesn’t mean the Knicks got meaningfully closer to ending a far more important drought. Unless Leon Rose has a big summer move coming out of left field, the Knicks will start next season as just another barely relevant club.

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The free-agent frenzy has come and gone again in the NBA, and it’s the same old story in New York for the Knicks and their fan base. Another year, another “big” free agent signing fails to move the needle. The team signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract, and now they’re being hit with tampering not.

It’s such a Knicks move it’s not even funny anymore. I’m not against Brunson securing the bag; I’m happy for him. The Mavericks probably do n’t get to the Western Conference Finals without his contribution in the playoffs. Brunson took over against Utah in the first round, with Luka Dončić inactive during the first three games of that series. Brunson led Dallas to a 2-1 series lead, scoring 41 and 31 points in games 2 and 3.

But this signing doesn’t jump off the page when you think of New York City and the wow factor. Then again, Knicks free agent pickups never really scream “wow.” Not in the good sense, at least. Last year it was NYC native Kemba Walker coming home to play for the franchise, and that wound up not working out. they also brought in Evan Fournier, which was great for about one night at the start of the last season.

A couple of years before Walker and Fournier, Julius Randle signed a big free-agent deal with New York. That came on the heels of Kevin Durant turning down the Knicks in favor of following his buddy Kyrie Irving to the Brooklyn Nets. That hasn’t exactly worked out as planned, but it’s the same old song for the Knicks.

This franchise hasn’t landed a big-name star since Carmelo Anthony in 2011. That should have been a free agent signing, but the Knicks gutted their roster trading for Anthony instead of waiting until the summer. That move produced a couple of postseason appearances and a 54-win season where the Knicks were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Certainly not the outcome Knicks fans had hoped for.

With the Brunson deal, the kicker is now the team will likely be penalized because it leaked that they’d been in contact with him before they were supposed to. Honestly, who cares? Damn, near every team, is tampering. Someone’s always spouting off about this player and that player going to another team. It’s already the wild west in terms of player movement. Let’s remove “tampering” and let them all have at it. Teams and players are already doing it anyway.

Tampering in the eyes of the NBA is all over the board. If you mention a player while being even remotely affiliated with a different team, you could get popped with a tampering fine. the Lakers incurred a $50,000 fine a few years ago after Magic Johnson spoke glowingly in public about the greatness of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Brunson’s situation relates more closely to actual tampering, but even that seems ridiculous. There’s no way the NBA believes organizations aren’t having conversations with soon-to-be free agents during the season. Even if it isn’t directly with the player, messages are relayed through an agent, family members, friends, etc.

These franchises know the deal, and they’re still out to get the upper hand on acquiring players by any means necessary. It’s time to give up this charade. Teams and players don’t give a crap. The league makes so much money that teams don’t care about $50K or even $100K fine if it means landing their man.

Trust me, these owners care much more about the recklessness of player movement and these guys demanding trades with multiple years left on existing contracts. But that’s likely to end in the next collective bargaining agreement. Player empowerment is wonderful, but it’s gotten out of control, and the owners will reel it in soon.

When the two sides return to the bargaining table, one thing on the agenda needs to be removing tampering. It’s downright silly. It can’t be that significant a factor affecting competitive balance if nearly everyone engages. They just need to eliminate it and move on.

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The Knicks could potentially face punishment from the NBA for tampering after they signed former Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson.

According to The Athletic, people around the league “expect the Knicks to get dinged for tampering” after signing the 25-year-old Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract.

Multiple reports surfaced days before the June 30, 6 pm start time for NBA free agency indicating Brunson intended to sign with the Knicks. That, along with William Wesley appearing courtside for one of the Mavericks’ playoff games against the Jazz, has left the Mavericks “quite frustrated,” according to The Athletic.

The NBA docked the Bulls and Heat their next available second-round pick for their signings last year of Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry, respectively, after an investigation found both teams engaged in early contact with the players.

There were other free-agent deals reported right at or shortly after 6 pm last Thursday that were obviously negotiated beforehand, including PJ Tucker signing with the 76ers and Malik Monk joining the Kings.

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The NBA world felt shockwaves when the Jazz sent Rudy Gobert to Minnesota in a blockbuster trade for a historic return. When the Jazz got eliminated from the playoffs in April, speculation began on whether the Jazz would break up their All-Star duo and enter a rebuild. In our offseason preview for the Jazz, we concluded that they were in good hands for a rebuild under newly hired Danny Ainge because of his history of extracting optimal value in trades.

The former Boston Celtics executive managed to outdo his previous haul from the 2013 trade with the Brooklyn Nets by not only getting three unprotected first-round picks again (2023, 2025, 2027), but also an additional Top 5 protected first in 2029. If you include this year’s 22nd overall pick, Walker Kessler, the Jazz got five first-round picks for Gobert, all without taking on any long-term money. they also traded Royce O’Neale to the Nets for a first-round pick on the eve of free agency.

Now the big question is, what happens next? And what that really is asking is if the Jazz will also trade Donovan Mitchell now that the roster has taken a major competitive hit in the short term. As hard as it is to move an all-time generational defender, who by all accounts was fully bought-in to the organization and the city of Utah, the return they got was too good to pass.

Where the Jazz stand now

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Jazz likely were at the end of the road with this core with little to no flexibility to reshape the roster. The recent maximum extensions for Gobert and Mitchell, which kicked in last season, immediately accelerated their timeline. They established the core around the two All-Stars in the 2019 offseason when they used cap space to sign Bojan Bogdanovic and traded for Mike Conley.

From then on, they were capped out and relied on trades and exceptions to add talent. Eventually, they had to pay all their core players and the money added up fast. While the high luxury tax payments weren’t necessarily going to be an issue going forward, it was the lack of tradeable assets that pushed their window closer to the end.

During the last season, they were reportedly interested in pursuing a defensive-minded forward. One such player was available Jerami Grant, who was ultimately dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers for one future first-round pick. The Jazz were still able to trade enough first-round picks to make a stronger offer at the time for such a player-type. However, such a deal would’ve emptied their already low amount of tradeable assets. They already owe a 2024 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder that is mostly lottery protected through 2026.

In the end, the Jazz felt that they were more likely to get into come into contention through a retool/rebuild than maintaining the status quo. In less than 24 hours, they went from being one of the most constrained teams from a salary cap perspective to one of the most flexible going forward. They are in a position to generate $40M+ in 2023 cap space, but that could change if they expand this trade, such as one that involves sending Kevin Durant to Phoenix, for example.

The five first-round picks they added also make them one of the most asset-rich teams in the league. If the Jazz go all-in on a rebuild, there’s a good chance they make selections with some of the upcoming ones. If at any point they want to accelerate such a rebuild, they’d also have that option.

Donovan Mitchell’s future

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

It’s possible more trades continue around their other role players. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Jazz plan on retooling the roster around Mitchell, suggesting he is off the table for now. Tony Jones of the Athletic confirmed those sentiments and added that the Jazz are active on the trade market, likely in deals involving their other role players.

Talks would likely start with their glut of guards, including Mike Conley, Jordan Clarksonand Nickeil Alexander Walker. They could also discuss trades for newly acquired Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverleyand Leandro Bolmaro. It’s possible the Jazz could extract a couple more first-round picks for these players and later convert them into better veteran pieces around Mitchell.

However, the door may not be completely closed on a Mitchell trade. According to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune, the Jazz could be keeping their options open, which could include trading Mitchell for a massive haul. After setting the market at four unprotected first-round picks for Gobert, who is older and on a bigger contract, Utah will likely command at least a similar package to consider moving Mitchell.

There are few teams that have at least four tradeable first-round picks, and even fewer in that group that are in a position to accelerate their rebuild and acquire Mitchell. This could rule out teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, and Houston Rockets, especially since most of those teams have franchise guards they’re committed to. The Golden State Warriors could also make a strong offer for Mitchell, but they seem unlikely to rehaul their roster in such a trade.

New York Knicks

Rob Gray – USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks have been linked to Mitchell recently given his ties to New York and the CAA connection. According to Ian Begley, the Knicks might feel that the number of assets needed to acquire Mitchell may leave them with little to improve the team afterward.

With that said, they do have the necessary draft equity to acquire Mitchell, including four of their own, and four additional ones owed to them by other teams. They also have several young players they could include such as Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimesand Miles McBride. The matching salary could come in the form of a combination of Evan Fournier, Derrick Roseand Glass Reddish.

New Orleans Pelicans

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Pelicans are another team who could make an aggressive offer for Mitchell. One framework could include CJ McCollum for salary matching, and young players such as Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, José Alvarado and Dyson Daniels. They also could include up to four of their own first-round picks, and two additional ones owed to them. The idea of ​​cashing out some of their remaining chips and trading McCollum for a younger All-Star guard in Mitchell could make sense.

Other offers

Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

After the Knicks and Pelicans, there is a noticeable dropoff in the quality of trade packages from a draft equity perspective. The Kings could offer a package involving De’Aaron Fox and recent first-round picks Davion Mitchell and Keegan Murray. Unfortunately, they are now limited to trading one first-round pick in 2028 or 2029 after trading a 2024 first-round pick to Altlanta for Kevin Huerter since it is protected through 2026.

The Miami Heat are another team that has been linked to Mitchell but they are also limited in the quality of their best offer. A package including Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovicand Gabe Vincent would probably be involved, but they are limited in trading a 2023 first-round pick and another one in 2028 or 2029.

The Mavericks have a multitude of mid-sized tradable salaries but lack any recent first-round picks other than Josh Green. They could trade two first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 and potentially their one in 2025 since it could be their first-available draft pick to trade if the Jazz believe the Mavericks’ obligation owed to the Knicks will convey before then.

The Nets could also make some sense since their situation is so fluid, but a trade would certainly have to include Ben Simmons due to rules prohibiting teams from fielding two designated rookies they traded for on the same team. Simmons doesn’t necessarily need to go to Utah, but perhaps another team could be willing to send draft assets to them for Simmons since the Nets lack all but two tradeable first-round picks.

If the Jazz do trade Mitchell as well, that would officially spell the end to an extremely short-lived era of incredible basketball in Utah. But if Ainge’s history in Boston means anything, additional shrewd deals for their role player and a focus on the draft should make for a promising future in Utah.

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The heavy lifting appears to be over. The Knicks’ offseason looks more or less set, following the signings of Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein — and the re-signing of Mitchell Robinson — that leaves them with just the $5.2 room mid-level exception.

The Post’s Zach Braziller offers five thoughts on president Leon Rose’s work up to this point:

Incremental Progress Made

The Knicks are better, but how much better? They filled their most pressing need at point guard (Brunson), and added some versatility up front (Hartenstein), but that won’t vault them into serious contention. If all goes right — if Brunson and franchise cornerstone RJ Barrett take steps forward as stars, if the enigmatic Julius Randle rediscovers his 2020-21 form, if Hartenstein explodes with more opportunities, if the role players behind them excel — this is still a team that isn’t among the elite in the Eastern Conference. The loaded Celtics, Heat, 76ers and Bucks remain the teams to beat in the East. The Hawks, following the Dejounte Murray trade, and the improving Cavaliers are both better on paper. And the Kevin Durant sweepstakes could vault someone else into the upper echelon mix, such as the Raptors. Make no mistake, the Knicks should be more competitive. A spot in the play-in round is very realistic. But anything beyond the seven-seed would be stunning for this roster as currently constituted.

The Randle conundrum

Two years after he was one of the best players in the NBA, Randle will be asked to make major adjustments. He will be playing with the ball less, which could curtail his production. A playmaker like Brunson could free up Randle, but it will also mean a new way of playing for the bruising forward, who he is used to creating, albeit with a high turnover rate. There is also the question of spacing, since Brunson, Randle and Barrett all excel beneath the 3-point line, and non-shooting center Mitchell Robinson clogs the paint as well.

Shooting questions

The Knicks traded away their top 3-point shooter by percentage in Alec Burks to create enough salary cap space to land Brunson, and this is a team that was 13th in the league in 3-point shooting percentage a year ago. Brunson, a career 37.3 percent shooter who can create open looks for his teammates, obviously helps. But the Knicks will need more out of young players Quentin Grimes and Cam Reddish, provided Reddish remains with the team, and they should get more chances to perform. Immanuel Quickley, who likely will play predominantly off the ball next year, saw his shooting percentage fall from 38.9 percent to 34.6. So improvement from him isn’t a crazy ask. It may be a necessity for the Knicks.

Brunson was right decision

I’ve noticed a lot of criticism of this move, that the Knicks are overpaying for a good — but not a great — player. That Brunson, who agreed to a four-year, $104 million deal on Thursday night, doesn’t make them a title contender. That he isn’t a top-five point guard in the league. I’m not here to disagree with any of those ideas. But what he does is make this team better. He likely vaults them into the play-in tournament. There is this notion that unless the Knicks are adding a superstar, what’s the point? Well, unless you’ve been in a coma for years, you understand the NBA is run by stars. They decide where they play, whatever their contract status is. I think Barrett can be a No. 2 on a title contender and Brunson can be a No. 3. The way to land a No. 1 is by making yourself more attractive, by creating a winning culture, and you do that by adding good players. That’s Jalen Brunson. He makes the Knicks better. Maybe his breakout postseason, in which he averaged 21.6 points over 18 games, was a sign of a young player ready to really emerge. Either way, as ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy told me, “he is a player of significance in the NBA,” The Knicks need as many of those guys as possible.

Two moves left

The Knicks could use another wing after dealing away Burks and Barrett is now eligible for a rookie max contract. That is the activity I can see happening to cap off the offseason. Players in Barrett’s class — Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and Darius Garland — have reportedly agreed to rookie max extensions. The ever-improving Barrett could receive a deal up to $185 million over five years. As for the wing position, right now the Knicks have Barrett, Reddish and little else. A veteran is needed. Injury-plagued scorer TJ Warren, one of the top unsigned players on the free-agent market who appeared in just four games last year for the Pacers due to a stress in his left foot, could be a worthwhile gamble.

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Derek Harper chuckled at the narrative that was spun this week, that Jalen Brunson was being overpaid to join the Knicks.

Just wait and see, the Mavericks’ television analyst said. Watch how he impacts winning.

“People are going to be shocked at what Jalen Brunson brings to the floor every night,” Harper, arguably the Knicks’ last difference-maker at point guard, told The Post in a phone interview Friday, the day after Brunson agreed to a four -year, $104 million deal. “This guy is just special. … I think he’s underrated. Not until this year has he gotten the credit he deserves.

“He was a joy to watch, because the bigger the moment, the bigger he stood up, and I don’t think you can say that about everybody. A lot of guys shy away from big moments and adverse situations. That’s going to surprise some people.”

Nobody knows better than Harper what awaits the 25-year-old Brunson in New York. Like Brunson, he went from the Mavericks to the Knicks, albeit in a trade, not through free agency. There were high expectations for Harper as he joined a title contender he then helped reach the 1994 NBA Finals. It took time for him to acclimate to the pressure-cooker that is playing point guard for the Knicks, but he doesn’t expect that to be an issue for Brunson.

“Built for it, born for it,” said Harper, who played parts of three seasons with the Knicks, from 1994-96, and averaged 11.7 points, 4.8 assists and 1.3 steals, helping them to a pair of 50-win seasons and five playoff series victories. “There are some guys that are cerebral enough that you can put them in a cage anywhere and they’re going to fight their way out, and that’s Jalen. Jalen is not in awe of any player in this league. In fact, he wants to prove himself against the best.”

Brunson grew up in southern New Jersey, and he has strong ties throughout the Knicks organization. Team president Leon Rose is his former agent. Rose’s son, Sam, is his current rep. Brunson has prior relationships with coach Tom Thibodeau and veteran guard Derrick Rose. His father, Rick, was recently added to Thibodeau’s staff. Brunson knows what he’s in for.

Harper is so confident in Brunson in part because he has watched his development up close, from a second-round pick in 2018 to a backup to a starter and most recently a breakout playoff performer. He has seen how hard, and diligently, he works.

Harper jokingly refers to himself as the president of the Jalen Brunson Fan Club, a group he expects to expand in New York. Harper said he believes that in time, Brunson will not only be worth the big contract he just received, but possibly even outplay it.

“I just see a leader in Jalen, that’s the reason why I root for him so hard,” Harper said.

Harper was torn this week once reports began to emerge that Brunson was headed to the Knicks. He was happy that he was able to land a huge contract in the place he once called home, but disappointed that his days calling Brunson’s games were over. He grew fond of the southpaw, not just the player he had become, but the high-character person, too.

Harper will now have to follow him from a distance. The Mavericks’ loss is the Knicks’ gain.

When it was suggested to Harper that, at least on paper, Brunson is the Knicks’ best point guard since he was running the show, he laughed.

“Man, I’m 60 years old,” Harper said.

That just illustrates what a massive problem the position has been for the Knicks over the past 25 years. But the last man to play that spot consistently well for them thinks they have found the right guy.

“I promise Knicks fans that they won’t be disappointed in Jalen,” Harper said. “He’s flat-out one of the better young point guards in this league. He’s not one of these guys that’s going to get $ 100 million and not continue to work at his craft and reach a different height.

“There’s more to come with Jalen Brunson. You saw what he did during the playoffs. … They have a solid point guard for a long time to come.”

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<p>The post Derek Harper promises Knicks fans will love Jalen Brunson first appeared on harchi90.</p>

The Knicks are now set at center.

A day after landing Clippers big man Isaiah Hartenstein, they locked up their own free agent, Mitchell Robinson.

The 7-foot-1 dunking and shot-blocking dynamo agreed to a four-year, $60 million deal to return, ESPN reported.

Robinson averaged 8.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 25.7 minutes across 72 games, while shooting 76.1 percent from the field. He was a draft win for the Knicks, a 2018 second-round pick who has developed into a solid starting center in the league despite battling injury issues.

Robinson appeared in a career-high 72 games last season, 62 of them starts, and notched his highest rebounding average.

Barring a trade, the Knicks offseason may be close to done. After signing Hartenstein and Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal, they only have the $5.4 million room mid-level exception left to offer.

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<p>The post Mitchell Robinson re-signs with Knicks on $60 million deal first appeared on harchi90.</p>