Draymond Green took aim at Jalen Brunson’s contract decision, but the Knicks’ side of the story is a lot harder to brush off.
Green framed Brunson’s choice to sign for less than a full max as a move similar to the one he once made with Golden State, and he argued that New York didn’t need its star point guard giving back money in order to keep the roster intact. That’s a fair player-first argument on its face. Nobody wants to see athletes shortchange themselves just to make an owner’s life easier.
But Brunson’s deal was never just about taking less for the sake of it.
Before last season, Brunson signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension. After that, he put together a monster year, averaging 28.7 points and 6.7 assists, winning Finals MVP and helping the Knicks win a championship. That’s the part Green’s critique skips over: the flexibility Brunson created actually turned into something tangible.
The Knicks used that breathing room to bring back Jordan Clarkson, Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet and Mohamed Diawara, then added Andre Drummond after losing Mitchell Robinson. Those are the real-world benefits of Brunson’s decision, not just a nice story about sacrifice.
And this isn’t some one-way concession that’s already over. Brunson will be eligible for a much larger extension later, and the Knicks are going to have to be ready to pay him then. He already gave them room to build during the best stretch this franchise has had in decades, and he already delivered a ring.
So yes, Green is right that players should guard their money. But Brunson’s case is different.
The discount was part of the blueprint for a title run, not a hollow gesture. It worked.
In Other News...
Jason Williams Just Hit The Sixers With A Brutal Reality Check
Jason Williams is already pumping the brakes on the 76ers buzz for 2026-27, and from a Knicks perspective, that matters because he sees Philadelphia trailing a familiar group in the East. Williams singled out New York, along with Miami and Orlando, as teams he expects to finish ahead of the Sixers, a sharp counter to the idea that Philadelphias offseason moves automatically push it into the top tier.
His skepticism centers on whether the roster can hold up where it counts, especially on the defensive end and on the glass. Williams view also runs against LeBron James belief that Philadelphia gives him the best chance to win, which only adds to the intrigue around how the Sixers will be judged before they ever get to prove it on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Suddenly Have Another Center Situation Worth Watching Closely
The Clippers frontcourt suddenly looks even more crowded after adding Johni Broome from Philadelphia, a move that piles another center into a group already built around Brook Lopez and several young bigs. Between Baba Miller, Narcisse Ngoy, Yanic Konan Niederhuser, Isaiah Jackson and Jamarion Sharp, there are only so many minutes and roster spots to go around, which is the kind of setup that often forces a team to make a choice sooner rather than later.
For the Knicks, that makes Los Angeles a team worth keeping on the radar. New York is always alert to the market when a usable center might shake loose, whether through a trade or a release, and the Clippers logjam could create exactly that kind of opening. Niederhuser is one name that stands out as a possible end-of-bench hold, especially with the kind of flashes he has shown, but the bigger question is whether the Clippers decide they can keep everyone in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Had A Very Different Center Plan If Kessler Fell Through
The Lakers went big to solve their center spot, landing Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with Utah and paying a steep price in two first-round picks, two pick swaps and a four-year, $130 million contract. Kessler is set to anchor the middle, with Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili behind him, giving Los Angeles a very different look than the one it had been carrying into the offseason.
Mitchell Robinson, meanwhile, was part of the larger center conversation before the Lakers locked in Kessler, and his market wound up taking a different turn. For New York, it is another reminder of how quickly the center market can shift when one domino falls, especially for a player whose value has long been tied to rim protection and the kind of role that contenders are always trying to fill. [Read more 🡒]