Jalen Brunson is staying with the Knicks albeit on an enormous low cost. The All-Star guard agreed to a four-year, $156.5 million extension on Friday, per stories. By signing this contract now as an alternative of subsequent offseason, the All-NBA Second Crew choice is leaving greater than $100 million in assured cash on the desk. Brunson would have been eligible for a five-year, $269 million extension subsequent summer time.
That is a $113M sacrifice that will likely be an enormous boon for the Knicks’ skill to maintain this group — which is about to change into extraordinarily costly within the coming years — collectively for the long run. The Knicks’ OG Anunoby, Julius Randle and Mikal Bridges will be part of Brunson in making greater than $23M subsequent season.
Based on ESPN, the deal will price Brunson $37M over the subsequent three years, however he could possibly be in place to recoup a few of this cash on a four-year, $323M extension in 2028 (his new contract comes with a participant possibility within the fourth 12 months) or a brand new five-year, $418M deal in 2029.
Nonetheless, quite a bit can occur between now and 2028 or 2029, and maybe Brunson was taking this issue of the unknown into consideration when he determined to signal now versus subsequent summer time.
Bear in mind when Isaiah Thomas was about to land an enormous deal that was believed to be within the vary of $200 million after which suffered the harm which derailed his complete profession earlier than he might really signal? He has made lower than $15M since.
So Brunson takes that risk off the desk by securing his cash now, however nonetheless, the probabilities of a career-altering harm or different market forces lowering his worth by $100M over the course of 1 12 months appears fairly distant. He is principally doing this so the Knicks can maintain the core of this younger group collectively whereas flying beneath the second apron for the subsequent half decade or extra.
That is simply an extremely selfless transfer by one of many league greatest gamers and a person who’s about to change into a sainted determine in New York.
