Jalen Brunson: team guy.
The New York Knicks superstar guard is eligible to sign a deal worth $269 million next year -—but he’s putting winning above all.
After cementing himself as likely the Knicks’ most beloved player since the 1990s, Brunson has decided to sign a year earlier, forfeiting loads of money.
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Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks prepares for the opening tipoff against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 30. (Elsa/Getty Images)
Brunson and the Knicks have reportedly agreed to a four-year extension worth $156.5 million, saving the team, and costing him, well over $100 million in the process in what ESPN called an “unprecedented financial concession.”
Of course, there is risk involved, but if Brunson, just 27, continues to play at his current level, he’s going to earn that deal, and Knicks fans would revolt if the team ever dared not to keep him around.
According to ESPN, citing Brunson’s agent Sam Rose, Brunson is forfeiting $37.1 million over the next three years (the extension will kick in beginning with the 2025-26 season).
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson reacts after shooting a three-point basket during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Madison Square Garden in New York on Feb. 6. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
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ESPN highilghted that Brunson took note of other sports superstars like former NFL great Tom Brady, current Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter — players who risked their own financial stability for the sake of their team’s potential success.
But the good news for Brunson, aside from the Knicks being able to add more talent, is that this will make him eligible for a whopping $418 million deal in 2029.
Brunson led New York to the second seed in the Eastern Conference last season, and had the injury bug not bit the team (including Brunson), they very likely would have been in 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 huge step forward this past season, posting career-bests of 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game, en route to his first All-Star nod and a fifth-place finish in the MVP vote.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks celebrates during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden in New York on April 21, 2023. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Brunson is one of several “Nova Knicks,” alongside Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo and newcomer Mikal Bridges, all of whom played on the 2016 and 2018 Villanova national championship teams.
The Knicks last made the NBA Finals in 1999, and last won a championship in 1973, but things are looking up for them, and Brunson’s deal only helps them.
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