Everyone said the New York Knicks overpaid Jalen Brunson two years ago when they signed him to a four-year, $104 million deal. On Friday, he left $113 million guaranteed on the table and signed a four-year, $156 million extension. Oh, how quickly things change.
The extension will start in 2025-26 and has a player option in the final season, so Brunson could enter free agency in 2028 and sign a four-year deal worth as much as $323 million. Or, in 2029, he could sign a five-year deal worth $418 million.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Brunson factored Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, and Derek Jeter into his decision to sign a deal this summer.
"Brunson's study of championship organizations and franchise stars -- Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs, the Tom Brady New England Patriots and the Derek Jeter New York Yankees -- gave him a blueprint for MVP-level players who structured contracts to give their teams the best chances at sustainable title runs."Adrian Wojnarowski, via ESPN
Knicks fans are ecstatic, to say the least. Josh Hart is, too. Shortly after the news dropped, Hart expressed his thoughts on X (Twitter).
Build him a statue 🥲
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) July 12, 2024
Josh Hart's ready for Jalen Brunson statue after Knicks extension
A Brunson statue might be outside Madison Square Garden when you're reading this, and the deal was announced less than two hours ago. Hart probably oversaw the project. Don't be surprised if Brunson's head is five times larger on the statue than in real life.
As Woj put it, the point guard signing the extension is an "unprecedented move." NBA stars don't leave that much money on the table. Brunson still got paid, but he clearly cares more about bringing an NBA title to New York for the first time since 1973.
The collective bargaining agreement punishes teams that reach the first and second tax aprons. If a team is at the second apron, it's virtually impossible to do anything. Brunson's extension means the Knicks will avoid the second apron and have more financial flexibility to improve the roster via signings and trades.
Brunson deserves a statue on every New York street corner. When he retires in the (very far) future, he might go down as the greatest Knick of all time.