Modern-day superstar athletes are known for obtaining the richest contracts possible that their respective sports have ever seen.
But that’s the exact opposite of what Knicks MVP candidate Jalen Brunson chose to do.
On Friday, the Knicks announced a contract extension with Brunson that is reportedly worth $156.5 million per year over four years, beginning in the 2025-26 season.
The important thing is that Brunson could receive a five-year contract worth $270 million.
In return, he will save the Knicks $37.1 million in cap space over the next decade.
But the fourth-year player option on his contract is worth $43.3 million, which could lead to a four-year, $323 million extension in the 2027 offseason, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski speculates that would be the same amount Brunson gave up.
SNY’s Ian Begley We first reported in late June that Branson was leaning toward the cheaper option.
Brunson’s average salary of $39.1 million ranks 32nd in the league, below second-tier players like Darius Garland and Pascal Siakam, not to mention his New York Knicks teammate OG Anunoby, who signed a five-year, $212.5 million contract extension in June to remain with the Knicks.
“Brunson’s decision to postpone one of the NBA’s richest salary periods carries with it the risk of injury or unforeseen complications, but his priority is to make the most of the prime years of his career with the franchise’s most talented and deepest roster since the 1990s,” Wojnarowski wrote.
Brunson averaged career-highs of 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game in the 2023-24 season, earned himself a spot on his first All-Star team, finished fifth in MVP voting and led the Knicks to their third Eastern Conference semifinal appearance since 2012.
In the end, Brunson finished the season eighth in win shares, but selflessly chose to be rewarded at a significantly lower value.
Among the NBA’s top five scorers last year, Brunson is one of just two, joining the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, not making more than $43 million per season.
Wojnarowski reported that Brunson reviewed the contracts of Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady and Derek Jeter, looking for “a blueprint for an MVP-caliber player on a contract that gives his team a chance to win consistent titles.”
For comparison, Mahomes signed a 10-year, $503 million contract extension with the Chiefs in 2020, but that contract was restructured in March of this year, freeing up $21.6 million.
At the time, the contract was the largest in sports history, but Mahomes is currently tied for ninth highest paid among NFL players and has been passed by Trevor Lawrence and Jared Goff this offseason alone.
Knicks president Leon Rose has already been actively working to strengthen the team’s roster, not only by retaining players but also by trading for forward Mikal Bridges and retaining Anunoby.
With Brunson tied to the Knicks for at least the next five seasons, Rose and company should have more room to maneuver to build a sustainable team, even if they don’t make it to the Eastern Conference or even the Finals.
