Jalen Brunson: Team member.
The New York Knicks superstar guard is eligible for a $269 million contract next year, but he prioritizes winning above all else.
Having cemented himself as the Knicks’ most beloved player since the 1990s, Brunson decided to give up a lot of money and sign a year early.
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New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson prepares for the season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 30 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Elsa/Getty Images)
Brunson and the Knicks reportedly agreed to a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension that saved the team but cost Brunson more than $100 million, which ESPN called “an unprecedented financial concession.”
There are risks involved, of course, but at just 27 years old, Brunson will likely earn that contract if he continues to play at his current level, and Knicks fans would be riled up if the team doesn’t try to keep him on the team.
According to ESPN, Brunson’s agent, Sam Rose, said Brunson will give up $37.1 million over the next three years (the extension takes effect in the 2025-26 season).
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson reacts after making a three-point shot during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Madison Square Garden on February 6 in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altafer)
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ESPN highlighted that Brunson had looked to other sports superstars, such as former NFL great Tom Brady, current Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter, who have risked their own financial security for the potential success of their teams.
But the good news for Brunson, besides allowing the Knicks to add more talent, is that he will be eligible for a massive $418 million contract in 2029.
Brunson led New York to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference last season, and had the team (including Brunson) not been plagued by injuries, they very well could have reached 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, averaging career-highs of 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game while earning his first All-Star nomination and finishing fifth in MVP voting.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks celebrates during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on April 21, 2023 in New York. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Brunson is part of the “Nova Knicks” along with Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo and rookie Mikal Bridges, all of whom played on Villanova University’s national championship teams in 2016 and 2018.
The Knicks last appeared in the NBA Finals in 1999 and last won a championship in 1973, but things are looking up and signing Brunson can only be a positive for the Knicks.
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