Pablo Torre stopped by The Joe Budden Podcast this week and ended up walking the host and the crew through one of the NBA's most talked-about conspiratorial whispers: how the Knicks landed Jalen Brunson.
Torre said he believes it's nothing like the Kawhi Leonard–Clippers controversy that he helped expose.
The journalist, who grew up in Manhattan, joked that New Yorkers treat Brunson like family and consistently warn him not to touch the subject. Budden pointed out that many experts thought the Knicks overpaid Brunson at the time, and Torre admitted he was among them.
"When he signed that deal, I was like, he's a Honda Civic. Stable, reliable, trustworthy but not a superstar, not a luxury vehicle," he said with a laugh. Still, Torre noted the Knicks' structure made the situation worth examining.
He pointed out that Knicks President Leon Rose, formerly a top agent, has deep ties to Jalen Brunson's father, Rick Brunson, who was hired onto the Knicks' coaching staff before Jalen signed.
Coaching and front-office salaries in the NBA aren't capped or public, Torre reminded the room, which gives billionaire owners enormous freedom.
"You could pay people a lot of different ways," he said. "It wouldn't be complicated. But I don't know what they're paying Rick Brunson."
Budden pushed back, saying Pablo's "journalist brain" sees opportunities for wrongdoing even before a story materializes, which Torre agreed with.
"I've been shocked at how often I start digging and there is something," Torre said. "Either I'm good at this, or the world is very dirty."
But Torre was adamant that whatever may have happened with Brunson, if anything at all, isn't comparable to what he uncovered in the Kawhi/Aspiration/Clippers saga.
"What I suspect happened with Jalen Brunson is fundamentally different from what's happened with Aspiration," Torre said, referencing the alleged financial arrangement tied to Kawhi's uncle that sparked league scrutiny. "I don't have proof it happened. All I have is the theory I laid out."
The issue blew up, Torre admitted, after he casually mentioned on The Dan Patrick Show that the Knicks' Brunson situation was "interesting."
"Suddenly people on the street are like, 'You touched Jalen Brunson, I'm gonna—'" Torre laughed, cutting himself off.
Budden joked that Clippers fans don't care the way Knicks fans do, saying, "Look, that ain't like Kawhi. Kawhi, go ahead and have your fun. We home now."
Co-host Antwan "Ish" Marby pressed Torre on what the "fundamental difference" would be if he did investigate the Knicks. Torre reiterated that the Brunson idea is just speculation and nothing more.
"If someone gave me a tip and said, 'Look into this,' and I found something, I'd follow it to the logical conclusion," he said. "But right now, all I have is theory."
Budden ended the segment with a parting shot: "[James] Dolan might be a little smarter than [Steve] Ballmer. He'll probably hide it better."
