Donovan Mitchell’s new four-year, $273 million extension in Cleveland is more than just a headline for the Cavaliers. For the Knicks, it’s a flashing reminder of two things at once: how much Jalen Brunson already saved them, and how much bigger the next check is likely to be.
Brunson’s current four-year, $156.5 million deal has been a gift to New York’s cap sheet. At minimum, it has saved the Knicks $37 million over three seasons.
That kind of discount doesn’t just look good in a vacuum; it has helped soften the damage elsewhere, even with Mitchell Robinson now gone to the rival Boston Celtics. Without Brunson taking home less than a top-50 salary, the fallout would have been even harsher.
But Mitchell’s extension also underlines the bigger truth: Brunson’s decision was the exception, not the rule. That kind of money left on the table doesn’t come around often, and the Knicks shouldn’t expect a repeat.
The real bill is still coming, and it could be massive. Brunson’s next contract could top $400 million, depending on when he signs.
There are three paths in front of him. If he extends next summer, he could decline his 2028-29 player option, worth $43.3 million, and land a four-year max deal projected at $286.5 million.
If he waits until the summer of 2028, declines that option, and signs a five-year extension before free agency, the number jumps to an estimated $370.9 million. And if he opts into that 2028-29 player option to give the Knicks more room that season, he could reach free agency in 2029 and become eligible for a five-year contract projected at $412.8 million.
No matter which route he takes, the Knicks are going with him.
That’s the reality here. Whether Brunson is worth 35 percent or more of the salary cap into his mid-30s and late-30s is beside the point. He already helped create New York’s championship window by taking less on this deal, and the expectation was always that he’d be paid properly later.
Maybe Brunson is built differently and takes another discount. Maybe not. But the era of the below-market bargain is almost certainly ending, and Mitchell’s max extension is the latest reminder that what Brunson did in 2024 was rare, surprising, and probably not something the Knicks should count on seeing again.
In Other News...
Knicks Fans Finally Get A Look At One Intriguing Newcomer
The first real look at Jack Kayil has been a little slower in coming than Knicks fans probably hoped after New York took the Alba Berlin guard with the 39th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Kayil sat out the clubs first Summer League game because of a delay tied to his team in Germany, but the wait appears close to ending, giving the Knicks a chance to see the kind of newcomer they added after trading down and stockpiling second-round picks in a draft shaped by their salary cap realities.
Kayils arrival also comes with the usual questions that follow an international pick in this spot. He does not have an obvious opening on the big club right now, and the Knicks may ultimately leave him in Germany next season as a draft-and-stash option. For now, though, the more immediate intrigue is simply getting him on the floor, with his debut expected soon and a matchup against the Spurs looming as the next chance for New York to evaluate what it has. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Clarksons Return Just Put More Heat On Tyler Kolek
Jordan Clarksons return gives the Knicks another experienced guard option and, in the process, tightens an already crowded backcourt picture. For Tyler Kolek, that means the margin for error keeps shrinking as he tries to carve out a real role in a rotation that already has Deuce McBride, Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado ahead of him.
Kolek still has time to change the conversation, but the path back into meaningful minutes looks anything but straightforward. Unless the Knicks make a move that reshapes the guard group or injuries open a lane, he is left waiting for an opening that may not come quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Have Made Their Smartest Summer Move Without Fixing Center
The Knicks spent part of the summer adding familiar depth pieces in Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet and Andre Drummond, but the quieter move may have come in the draft-pick column. New York has also picked up four future second-rounders in recent trades, a stash of low-cost assets that gives the front office more ways to keep tinkering without touching the top of the roster.
That matters because the center spot still looks like the area most worth watching, even after the Drummond addition. The Knicks have been linked to other frontcourt possibilities, including Kyle Filipowski, and the extra picks could give them a path to chase another big or package together a broader trade if they decide the current group still needs one more answer inside. [Read more 🡒]