Jalen Brunson: A team guy.
The New York Knicks' superstar point guard is eligible to sign a $269 million contract next year, but he prioritizes winning above all else.
After establishing himself as probably the Knicks' most beloved player since the 1990s, Brunson decided to sign a year early, losing a lot of money.
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Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks prepares for kickoff against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 30. (Elsa/Getty Images)
Brunson and the Knicks reportedly agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $156.5 million, saving the team and costing him more than $100 million in the process in what ESPN called an “unprecedented financial concession.”
Of course, there are risks involved, but if Brunson, just 27, continues to play at his current level, he will earn that deal, and Knicks fans would revolt if the team ever dared not keep him.
According to ESPN, citing Brunson's agent, Sam Rose, Brunson will lose $37.1 million over the next three years (the extension will take effect starting with the 2025-26 season).
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson reacts after scoring a three-point basket during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Madison Square Garden in New York on February 6. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
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ESPN noted that Brunson took notes from other sports superstars such as former NFL player Tom Brady, current Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter, players who risked their own financial stability for the sake of their team's potential success.
But the good news for Brunson, aside from the Knicks being able to add more talent, is that this will make him eligible for a massive $418 million contract in 2029.
Brunson led New York to second place in the Eastern Conference last season, and if the plague of injuries hadn't plagued the team (including Brunson), they most likely would have been in the conference finals against the Boston Celtics.
Brunson became a fan favorite in his first season in the Big Apple (his father, Rick, is an assistant coach), but he took a big step forward last season, posting career-best averages of 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game en route to his first All-Star nomination and a fifth-place finish in MVP voting.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks celebrates during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden in New York on April 21, 2023. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Brunson is one of several “Nova Knicks,” along with Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo and newcomer Mikal Bridges, who played on Villanova's national championship teams in 2016 and 2018.
The Knicks last made it to the NBA Finals in 1999, and last won a championship in 1973, but things are looking up for them and Brunson's deal only helps.
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