Now that the New York Knicks have finally broken through and won a championship, plenty of their decisions look smarter in retrospect. Jalen Brunson’s choice to extend in 2024 stands out most of all. He gave up what amounted to a $37 million pay cut so Leon Rose’s front office would have room to build, and that kind of move now sits right near the top of the list of reasons New York got to the finish line.
The key detail is that Brunson didn’t take less than the Knicks were allowed to offer him. He simply signed before waiting for a much larger deal in 2025.
That timing mattered. It gave the Knicks flexibility, and it kept Brunson from playing the waiting game for the biggest possible payday.
That decision looks even bigger in light of what’s happening with Nikola Jokić in Denver. The 31-year-old center could have extended this summer, but instead he is waiting until 2027.
Nobody is saying every star should leave money on the table. Still, after Victor Wembanyama took “just” a maximum contract, not a supermax, Jokić doesn’t exactly come out of this looking great if the standard is simply choosing to be paid exactly what you’re worth.
Brunson’s move also put other stars in an awkward spot. If he had signed early and then New York still couldn’t get over the hump, the story would have been different. Instead, the first year of the “discounted” deal kicked in and Brunson immediately looked like one of the league’s true 1A stars - and the 2026 Finals MVP.
New York’s title run, though, wasn’t built on Brunson alone. Karl-Anthony Towns was a huge piece of it, and the Knicks were able to pay him more than $50 million last season in part because Brunson made room. OG Anunoby belongs in that same conversation, too, with his scoring, defense, and fingertips all operating at star level throughout the postseason.
That’s the real value of Brunson’s choice. The Knicks became the Knicks they needed to be because he put winning ahead of everything else, including the chance to maximize every dollar right away. He has also talked about the peace of signing early, instead of carrying the stress of injury risk into a defining extension decision.
Jokić, meanwhile, has his own logic. He’ll turn 32 about halfway through the 2027 regular season, and with his 7-foot frame, questions about late-career conditioning are fair to wonder about. He also already delivered Denver the 2023 NBA Championship and won Finals MVP along the way, even if he didn’t seem too concerned with the trophy itself.
Players can handle their business however they want. That much is obvious. But others are free to notice the contrast, and Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst did exactly that on The Hoop Collective, calling Jokić’s approach the “exact opposite” of Brunson and Wembanyama.
That’s where the league’s star math gets interesting. Guys who want every dollar the CBA allows are not villains. But stars who are willing to sacrifice some off-court money in pursuit of on-court legacy are going to earn a different kind of praise.
In Other News...
Knicks Could Face A Costly 2027 Decision Around Karl-Anthony Towns
The 2027 free-agent picture already looks like it could get crowded in a hurry, with a number of marquee names potentially lining up for the market if contracts and player-option decisions break a certain way. For the Knicks, that looming class matters because it adds another layer to every long-term roster conversation, especially with the salary cap set to keep squeezing contenders and make every major commitment carry extra weight.
Karl-Anthony Towns sits right at the center of that math, and the Knicks will have to think carefully about how they map out the next two seasons around him. His future is part of a much bigger leaguewide picture, one that could be shaped by extension talks, opt-out decisions and how teams view their chances of keeping a title core intact without running into harsh financial penalties. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Are Losing Two More Pieces Of Their Championship Core
The Knicks are seeing another bit of turnover from the group that helped fuel their recent title run, with free agent center Trey Jemison now landing a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors after spending last season in New York. For a team that just reached the top of the league, these are the kinds of small but notable departures that can add up, especially when they involve a player who gave the roster front-court depth and a front-office voice tied to the clubs rise.
Gersson Rosas is also leaving, with the vice president of basketball operations announcing his departure from the organization. Rosas was part of the front office that helped build the championship-winning roster, so his exit removes another familiar piece from the machinery that got the Knicks to this point, even if the bigger core remains in place. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Get An Early Test Against A Raptors Threat Fans Cant Ignore
The East keeps shifting around New York, and one of the more intriguing ripple effects could come from Toronto. With the 76ers, Heat and Pacers all reshaping themselves in a big way, the Raptors are the club Knicks fans may want to watch most closely if their own offseason picture is going to get clearer. A potential move for Kawhi Leonard would instantly change the way that matchup looks, especially with the Knicks trying to measure themselves against the top of the conference.
They will not have to wait long to get a read on it. New York is set to see Toronto twice in the preseason, which should offer an early look at how the two teams stack up before the games start counting. If the Raptors do end up making that kind of splash, those October meetings could feel less like tune-ups and more like a first glimpse at a rival the Knicks may be chasing all season. [Read more 🡒]