Jalen Brunson took a massive pay cut when he signed his extension with the New York Knicks, choosing to sign it a year early instead of waiting and getting more money. As a result, the Knicks have been able to pay the rest of their core—an obvious reason why Brunson took less money. He wanted to win, and the Knicks have lived up to their end of the bargain, ensuring their core will stay in place for the foreseeable future.
They locked up Mikal Bridges on a huge extension this summer. Josh Hart and OG Anunoby have been paid. Karl-Anthony Towns is under contract, too. Everything is going according to plan.
But just as easily, everything could blow up in the Knicks’ face.
Why could Jalen Brunson pay cut hurt the Knicks?
From a direct standpoint, Brunson’s pay cut was a good thing for the Knicks. A positive. But what came of it is where things could get very tricky for New York, as they are going to be carrying a hefty payroll into the future.
By the 2026-27 season, the Knicks are going to have five players making more than $20 million, four of whom will make more than $30 million, and two of whom will crack the $40 million mark. (And Towns will make the most at $57 million.)
With how restrictive the current CBA is, New York could run into a situation similar to the one that the Boston Celtics encountered this summer. Boston traded most of their core away because of financial troubles, as they were hesitant to stay in the second apron for a third straight season.
Already, the Knicks are going to run into issues filling out their roster. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors outlined as much in a recent article: “The Knicks are carrying just 12 players on standard contracts but also only have about $3.72MM in breathing room below their second-apron hard cap,” Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors wrote. “Not only does that mean New York won’t be able to carry a 15th man until much later in the season, but it also means the team won’t have the ability to sign more than one free agent to a minimum-salary contract ($2,296,274).”
Brunson’s pay cut was noble. And it’s going to set the Knicks up to build on their Eastern Conference finals run for the next few years. But the second apron comes for everyone.
And while his pay cut didn’t force the Knicks to hand out massive contracts, it allowed them to. That’s what he wanted. For everyone to get paid.
Now, the Knicks are in a race with the second apron and the CBA. And it’s only a matter of time before they lose it.