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 on Friday signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension.
“Jalen signing his extension to remain with the Knicks for the long-term shows the dedication and passion he has for the organization, the fans and this city,” Knicks president Leon Rose said in a release.
“Since Jalen joined us two years ago, he has consistently led by example and continues to show a willingness to sacrifice for this organization, his teammates and everyone in the Knicks family,” Rose added.
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.”
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.