Jalen, Brunson, New York Knicks work out $156.5 million contract
Star Guard Takes Less to Give Team Financial Flexibility
The New York Knicks made a brilliant free-agent signing when they got Jalen Brunson to leave the Dallas Mavericks. In basketball news, they aren’t going to let the great guard go anywhere, as evidenced by the Jalen Brunson contract extension.
Brunson agreed to a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension on Friday that is beyond club-friendly. Yes, it is hard to imagine someone doing their organization a solid when getting almost $40 million per season.
However, one has to recognize that in this day and age of bloated NBA contracts, Brunson did just that. The Jalen Brunson contract includes $113 million less guaranteed money than he could have sought if he wanted a maximum deal. There is a pot of money at the end of the rainbow in 2028.
No one is going to pass up $113 million. No one. According to the NBA report, Brunson, 27, will be in a position to get it all back when the contract talks come up again in several years.
In a largely unprecedented financial concession to give roster flexibility to a contender, New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson has agreed on a four-year, $156.5 million extension, his agent Sam Rose of CAA tells ESPN — $113M less guaranteed than he’s eligible to receive in one… pic.twitter.com/DDJvz7TUlr
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 12, 2024
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who broke the story:
The deal, which begins in 2025-26 and will cost Brunson $37.1 million over the next three years, comes with a fourth-year player option, agent Sam Rose said, and that would set up Brunson to recoup the $113 million on a four-year, $323 million maximum extension in 2028 or a new five-year, $418 million deal in 2029.
Will Teamwork Make Knicks’ Dreams Work?
Brunson, who has played two years with New York after four in Dallas, has given the Knicks financial flexibility by being unselfish. This helps the team keep its current roster intact or add substantial players.
Brunson is on a squad with three other Villanova comrades. Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges bring a national championship pedigree to Madison Square Garden from the college level.
The Knicks have not been as exciting or successful in many years, and this team has the ingredients for a magical recipe. Are they going to win a title, something New York has not done since 1973? There’s no guarantee, but the Villanova connection led by Brunson puts them closer to serious contention than they have been in decades. They have also become more of a sports betting darling compared to the toxic squad they were in any losing years.
Others Have Taken Less So Teams Can Get More
In the modern era, All-NBA player discounts to allow salary cap flexibility have included San Antonio’s Tim Duncan taking $11 million less than the maximum in 2007 to keep Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker and Golden State’s Kevin Durant taking $10 million less to keep Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala in 2017. LeBron James accepted $2.6 million less on a two-year, $101 million deal this offseason to avoid the second apron for the Los Angeles Lakers.
To give you an idea of how club-friendly the Jalen Brunson contract truly is: His extension is based on his salary of 2024-25. He will be paid around $12 million less next season than OG Anunoby, who got a five-year, $212.5 million contract from the Knicks recently.
There is no doubt Brunson is more valuable to the Knicks than Anunoby and his other teammates. By agreeing to this contract, he displayed how much of a leader he is off the court, in addition to being the glue on it.
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