It was the Knicks biggest win of the offseason, even considering they traded for Mikal Bridges: Jalen Brunson agreed to a sweetheart, discounted extension to stay with the Knicks, leaving a potential $112.5 million on the table.
Why? He echoed on the Roommates Podcast with his co-host Josh Hart what he said previously: He loves New York and wants to win there, and this deal helps set the team up for the future.
Jalen Brunson on his extension:
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) August 15, 2024
“It’s kinda simple. I want to be here. I want to show that actions speak louder than just talking about stuff. I want this team to be together for a long time. I want to win here. That’s it.”
(via @Roommates__Show) pic.twitter.com/7cQCq7qzyD
“It’s kinda simple. I want to be here. I want to show that actions speak louder than just talking about stuff. I want this team to be together for a long time. I want to win here. That’s it.”
That echoes what Brunson said previously.
“I think about every decision that I make and I’m completely comfortable with what I’ve done,” Brunson said a couple of weeks ago. “Obviously I’m well off, myself and my family, we’re obviously well off, so that’s first and foremost. But I want to win. I want to win here.”
Brunson is still getting a very healthy paycheck, he agreed to a four-year, $156.5 million extension, an average of $39.1 million a season. Why that’s a sweetheart deal is because if Brunson had played out this season and become a free agent next summer he could have re-signed with the Knicks for five years, $269.1 million, or an extra year at an average of $53.8 million a season.
Brunson made that decision to help the Knicks win, to give them the financial flexibility to go out and get players to go around him and the core that can help New York challenge Boston at the top of the East.
This offseason, that meant trading for Mikal Bridges, a coveted two-way wing who averaged 19.6 points a game last season in Brooklyn. Bridges is another Villanova guy who should mesh well with the Knicks rotation — and the sum will be more than the individual parts in New York.
It’s what Brunson wanted and why he took the discount.
