Jalen Brunson is leaving some huge cash on the desk to assist the New York Knicks construct the very best staff potential. Brunson and the Knicks agreed on a four-year, $156 million extension on Friday, in response to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Brunson may have signed for a further $113 million if he wished till subsequent yr to signal the extension. The purpose guard was eligible to signal a five-year, $270 million extension after the 2024-2025 season.
Brunson’s deal features a participant choice on the fourth yr, giving him a chance to increase at a much bigger quantity a couple of years from now. Nonetheless, there aren’t any ensures Brunson will nonetheless be acting at a max participant stage at that time, and the Knicks aren’t beholden to providing it.
That is an unprecedented gesture for a star participant, and a method for the Knicks to proceed stocking the staff with expertise within the second apron period.
Brunson is sacrificing tens of tens of millions of {dollars} per yr to present the Knicks team-building flexibility. This graphic from Wojnarowski lays out the deal Brunson accepted vs. the one he may have signed subsequent yr.
“One large motivating issue for Brunson in all of this was he wished to place the Knicks in the very best place potential to construct out this roster as they chase a championship,” reporter Ian Begley mentioned after Brunson signed his extension. As contenders let go for good gamers to keep away from the penalties coming from the dreaded second apron of the luxurious tax underneath the league’s new CBA, there’s no option to body Brunson’s deal as something apart from an enormous present to the Knicks.
Credit score the Knicks for constructing an surroundings the place Brunson feels completely satisfied and valued. The Knicks accomplished their dream of absolutely reuniting Brunson’s school teammates this yr by buying and selling 5 first spherical draft picks for Mikal Bridges. The Knicks’ Villanova 4 — Brunson, Bridges, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo — received large on the school stage with nationwide championships in 2016 and 2018, and now have the possibility to do the identical within the NBA.
There’s the potential for Brunson to signal a brilliant max contract with the Knicks as soon as he hits 10 years of service within the NBA. It sounds good in concept, and there’s little question (to borrow Brunson’s favourite phrase) that the vibes are immaculate proper now. Simply understand that loads can occur in a couple of years time.
Jalen Brunson can decline his participant choice in 2028 and re-sign for as much as 5 years, projected at $418 million.
That’s the projected 35% max for gamers with 10 years of service in 2028.
He may alternatively decide out in 2028 and prolong for as much as 4 years, $254 million.
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) July 12, 2024
Isaiah Thomas as soon as informed the Boston Celtics to “deliver the Brinks vans out” as he anticipated a max extension supply from the staff. As an alternative, Thomas performed by a hip damage that was worse than initially anticipated, obtained traded for Kyrie Irving, and by no means noticed the massive cash he thought he was getting. Learn our timeline of how Thomas went from a max participant to a minimal participant from 2019.
The similarity between Brunson and Thomas and is that they’re each electrical scoring guards of small stature. In fact, Brunson will earn extra within the first yr of this contract than Thomas did his whole profession (Thomas made $34.7 million within the NBA, in response to basketball-reference).
Brunson turns 28 years outdated in August. He was No. 10 within the NBA in whole minutes this previous season underneath head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Right here’s the assertion from the Knicks on Brunson’s deal, the place president Leon Rose famous his “dedication and fervour” for the group and metropolis.
In assertion, NYK president Leon Rose says of Jalen Brunson: “Jalen signing his extension to stay with the Knicks for the long-term reveals the dedication and fervour he has for the group, the followers and this metropolis.” Full press launch on Brunson’s 4 yr, $156M extension: pic.twitter.com/krSfJubAhW
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) July 12, 2024
Wojnarowski famous that Brunson was influenced by team-friendly offers accepted by Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, and Patrick Mahomes to assist their organizations keep championship-level groups. The truth that Brunson is the son of former NBA participant Rick Brunson in all probability helps, too. He wasn’t hurting for cash rising up. The elder Brunson can be on the Knicks’ workers as an assistant coach.
It seems like Brunson wouldn’t have taken this cope with the second apron penalties looming within the new CBA. How does the gamers’ union really feel about Brunson’s new $100+ million haircut? A extra punitive luxurious tax was meant to make sure parity across the league, not have gamers take huge pay cuts to assist homeowners.
Both method, Brunson has his dream state of affairs in New York, enjoying a starring position for a terrific staff whereas surrounded by his former school teammates. He wasn’t going to get one of these private achievement anyplace else. What’s that price? For Brunson, it’s about $113 million.
