Many stars have said they want to play for the Knicks. Few have actually tried it.
And only one — Jalen Brunson — was willing to leave potentially over $100 million on the table to continue to be the marquee man at MSG.
With a gesture that should only further ingratiate himself to Knicks fans, Brunson agreed Friday to a four-year, $156.5 million extension, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
It was a move that wasn’t too surprising given the rumblings ahead of Brunson’s extension eligibility, but nonetheless shocking from a financial perspective.
If Brunson had waited until next summer for free agency, he could’ve inked a five-year contract worth about $270 million.
There was some risk associated with waiting — what if he suffered a devastating injury next season? — but the point guard had already established himself as a max player when healthy.
“I mean, obviously that’s a thing that you want to have, security,” Brunson, 27, said last season.
By taking the team-friendly deal, Brunson also theoretically helps the Knicks avoid the dreaded second apron as they vie for a title in the coming years. And from the player’s perspective, the sacrifice brings security and probably further happiness — assuming the Knicks don’t start losing again.
It’s hard to imagine a better situation than New York for Brunson. His father is the assistant coach, his longtime family friend (Leon Rose) is the team president, his head coach (Tom Thibodeau) is a huge fan, his college buddies are on the team.
The core around him — OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Julius Randle, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Mitchell Robinson — are all between the ages of 26 and 29. It’s their prime window on the heels of a 50-win season and elimination in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semis, a finish that left Brunson unsatisfied despite a flood of Knicks injuries.
“I would say there’s pros and cons in how I played,” Brunson said after going on a playoff scoring tear that was comparable to Michael Jordan. “The pros are I played well individually at some points and time during the playoffs. The cons are I didn’t play well enough to help my team move forward. You can say I got hurt in Game 7 (against the Pacers, when Brunson fractured his hand). I wasn’t playing well in Game 7. We had a 2-0 lead and a 3-2 lead. So, it’s hard to look at things individually when you don’t help your team.”
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With the notable exception of Julius Randle, most of the top Knicks players are locked up through at least the 2025-26 season (Brunson, Anunoby, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride).
Randle, who has a $31 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign, is eligible for an extension next month and expressed his desire to re-sign.
Brunson’s extension max is based on his salary next season, which is just $25 million — another big underpay given the booming NBA cap with $60 million annual paydays. Brunson, for instance, will be paid about $12 million less next season than Anunoby, who squeezed out a five-year, $212.5 million deal this summer.
Brunson’s extension begins in 2025-26 and includes a player option after the third season, when he’ll be 31.
At that point, the point guard could make up a lot of the potential missed money by signing a veteran max deal estimated at five year $418 million.
Of course, a lot can happen before 2028. The given now is that Brunson is under contract until at least then. And he took a huge discount to get there.