Jalen Brunson made his first All-Star season and was named to the All-NBA Second Team.
He received 37 First Team votes and 61 Second Team votes out of 99 voters, giving him the highest total points of any Second Team member.
The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic were unanimous first-team selections, while Dallas’ Luka Doncic received 98 first-team votes and one second-team vote.
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and Jayson Tatum of the Celtics round out the first team announced Wednesday.
Anthony Davis of the Lakers, Kevin Durant of the Suns, Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves and Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers join Brunson on the second team.
This is the latest honor for Brunson, who finished fifth in this month’s MVP voting, averaging a career-best 28.7 points, also a career-high in assists, and shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 3 points. His shooting percentage was 40.1 percent.
In the playoffs, he took his game to the next level, scoring 32.4 points per game on 44 percent shooting from the field and leading the injury-plagued Knicks, the No. 2 seed in the East, to Game 7 of the conference. Ta. Semi-finals.
During the playoffs, Brunson had five games in which he scored 40 or more points, making him the first player to do so since LeBron James in 2018 and the first player in Knicks playoff history to score 40 or more points in a single playoff game. This was the second highest number on record.
The 27-year-old underwent surgery this week on a fractured left hand he broke in the season finale against the Pacers.
Along with former Villanova teammates Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, Brunson has become the face of the Knicks thanks to their chemistry on and off the court.
He will be a key part of the Knicks’ offseason plans. With one season remaining on his current contract, the team could offer him up to a four-year contract worth around $156.5 million, or he could wait a year before becoming a free agent and offer him up to a five-year deal worth around $156.5 million. They can also ask for $58 million.
The Knicks could also offer him more guaranteed money on a shorter contract, allowing him to become a free agent sooner.
The Knicks will also continue to look for another star player to pair with him, but their options may be limited.
