As stacked as the Knicks currently are with star power, none of it would have been possible if Jalen Brunson had not taken a $113 million pay cut in 2024. The 29-year-old guard signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension with the franchise in 2024, when he could have waited for another season and become eligible for a five-year, $269 million deal.
The Knicks’ All-Star recently sat down with Vanity Fair and spoke his mind on why he took the extension and what he expects from the franchise in return.
“I’ve seen players wait and then get hurt, and then they’re at the mercy of the organization,” Brunson candidly admitted. “If I’m thinking about playing well to make sure I get paid, that could mess with me,” he says.
“I play best when I have a free mind, and that did that for me. A lot of people say I sacrificed for the team. One hundred percent, I sacrificed for the team. But most importantly, I made sure my family and I are taken care of.”
Brunson will be eligible for a five-year, $417.8 million contract extension with the Knicks in 2028, averaging a little over $83 million per season according to estimates.
But the guard will be 32 years old at the time, which is most commonly seen as the point in a traditional small guard’s career where their performance begins to decline. Therefore, the Knicks may have their concerns with not going all out on Brunson in the future. According to Brunson, that shouldn’t matter.
“Obviously, we’d love for them to do right by me,” Brunson says. “I think anyone would. I feel like I sacrificed.”
Jalen Brunson seemed entitled to getting some compensation that has helped the franchise build a potential title-contending team around him. Last year, Brunson led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.
This season, they have already clinched the NBA Cup and look like one of the top four favorites to come out of the East. Brunson is averaging 27.0 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 47.0% from the floor and 37.4% from beyond the arc, and earned his third consecutive All-Star appearance.
The Knicks are currently 35-20 and sitting third in the Eastern Conference. They are set to face the Pistons at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, February 19.
In my opinion, Brunson should be more focused on delivering the Knicks their first NBA championship since 1973. If he manages to do that, the Knicks’ front office will have no justification to not give him every penny he asks for.
