If Knicks miss on Jalen Brunson, Malcolm Brogdon, they could shift focus on Kyrie Irving

As possible destinations go, the New York Knicks are working to clear salary-cap space, preparing to recruit Dallas Mavericks free-agent guard Jalen Brunson, sources say. He wanted a four-year, $55 million extension last offseason, but the Mavericks never made an offer, sources say. Because of the risk of losing Brunson for nothing to the Knicks, where his former agent, Leon Rose, is the president of basketball operations, and his father, Rick, is a newly hired assistant coach, it could take nearly a max contract for the Mavericks to keep him. If the Knicks fail to acquire Brunson in free agency and lose out on a trade for Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon, they would probably take a look at the possibility of Kyrie Irving — if he was still available.