The New York Knicks could not have built their Eastern Conference Finals-qualifying roster without the financial flexibility granted to them by superstar point guard Jalen Brunson. The Knicks inked Brunson to an extension that left the NBA world in awe because of how much money the point guard seemingly left on the table. Recently, Brunson told Vanity Fair that he hopes the team "does right" by him on the matter of his next contract. His original "pay-cut" is helping the Knicks put a contending roster on the court. Is it coming at an unspoken cost?
Brunson hopes Knicks "do right" by him with next contract
The 29-year-old point guard is nowhere close to the expiration of his current deal, which just took effect this season. The four-year, $156.5 million agreement with the Knicks includes a player option for the 2028-29 season. If Brunson does not trigger that option, letting his contract expire, he'd then be eligible for a contract that's projected to deliver the guard a yearly salary of over $80 million.
Criticism of Brunson's first extension concerned everything from what New York's front office was doing with the additional flexibility to claims that Brunson was strengthening the societal grasp of inherently anti-worker ideologies that the players' union would need to investigate. Yes, seriously. What those discussions failed to mention, though, was that it could all come back around for the superstar.
The relationships that helped land Brunson on the Knicks' roster won't magically disappear at the end of his contract, whether the team has won a championship or not. There's been no indication or implication that Brunson's initial contract or extension were signed with any other agreements in mind. But the notion that the superstar guard helped get his team the flexibility they'd need to contend, knowing that he'd be taken care of on the backend doesn't necessary seem all that crazy.
Knicks should pay whatever it takes to keep Brunson around
For the Knicks, it's not so much of a problem that one of the world's best basketball players would like his pay to reflect his impact. Brunson isn't asking to be paid because of his handles, jump shot, or defensive instincts. He's remarking that, especially given the extent to which he impacts games, it would be nice to see the team circle back and deliver him that next extension for the full amount possible.
New York's front office should have no problem sending that bill upstairs to James Dolan. Dolan, the team governor who deserves credit for bankrolling the Knicks' top-tier front office, coaching staffs, and analytics departments over the last several years, should have no problem signing it.
Brunson both represents a fundamentally significant era of change in Knicks basketball and helps on a nightly basis to enact that change on the court. It's only right that he get paid like it, even if those payments are a bit deferred. Aren't the Los Angeles Dodgers doing it?