Has Jalen Brunson set a new precedent for the New York Knicks?
Brunson gave the Knicks one of the most notable deals in NBA history, agreeing to a four-year, $156 million contract extension. Had Brunson waited just one more year to become a free agent, he would have been eligible for a five-year, $269 million contract.
Now Brunson, who was a Second Team All-NBA selection and finished fifth in MVP voting last season, will be just the 44th highest-paid player in the NBA in 2025-26. And that’s before other players sign new contracts.
Brunson’s release gives the Knicks the flexibility to continue building a contending team. It could also mark a new trend within the team.
On Monday, the veteran NBA expert Marc Stein reported on his Substack The expectation is that newly acquired Mikal Bridges, whose contract begins Oct. 1, will also accept less for his extension.
Stein wrote:
“League sources say the expectation now, too, is that Bridges is likely to follow Brunson’s lead and sign a team-friendly deal when it is his turn to negotiate an extension (he’s eligible for a shorter, less attractive deal as early as Oct. 1 or a four-year extension if he waits until after the season) that would cement him at MSG alongside former Villanova teammates Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.”
It’s unclear what Bridges would want in return for an extension. If he were a free agent, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think he could get a contract close to the max, like teammate OG Anunoby did this summer.
It’s worth wondering if this salary-cap-conscious mindset will factor into Julius Randle’s decision. Randle will be eligible for an extension on Aug. 5. He can sign a four-year max extension for $181 million, which is less than his max if he were a free agent but still $25 million more than Brunson.
Would Randle accept less to maintain the Knicks’ flexibility?
Fred Katz of The Athletic said on the “Knicks Film School” podcast: It’s possible that Randle and the Knicks could delay an extension agreement. Doing so would give the Knicks time to see how their team develops with high expectations while still retaining some of that financial flexibility.
Overall, the Knicks under Leon Rose have gotten remarkable value from their signings.
Keep in mind that Brunson is just entering the third year of a four-year, $104 million contract, perhaps the best deal in the league.
Donte DiVincenzo, who just broke a Knicks franchise record for 3-pointers, is only in the second year of a four-year, $52 million contract.
The Knicks got incredible production from Isaiah Hartenstein, who signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Knicks in 2022. His play earned him a three-year, $87 million contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, a raise so large that the Knicks weren’t even allowed to match it.
There’s also fourth-year point guard Miles McBride, a key contributor off the bench, who just started a three-year, $13 million contract. Even starting center Mitchell Robinson’s contract is on the decline, as the big man will make just $12.9 million in the final year of his deal.
All of these contracts have turned out to be bargains. It now seems possible that Brunson has set a standard for players to accept less if it means competing for a championship.
