Jalen Brunson’s next contract could land in a very different neighborhood from the one he chose in 2024.
The Knicks star took a shorter deal that left serious money on the table, signing a four-year, $156.5 million contract even though he could have waited and become eligible for a five-year, $269 million payday. That decision, which cost him $113 million, gave New York the flexibility to build around him and helped set up the title run that followed.
Now, after helping end the Knicks’ 53-year championship drought, Brunson is expected to go after the kind of extension that reflects everything he’s done. ESPN’s Vince Goodwill put it bluntly: “Jalen Brunson is going to come get all of his money,” Goodwill commented.
“Every bit of money- I won’t say sacrificed. He signed a year early, right?
He could have signed for $100 million more by signing later. Every dollar of that $280 million or $300 million that he’s supposed to get, he’s going to get all of that.”
Goodwill believes Brunson will be looking at an extension worth close to $300 million next year. But the contract math gets complicated fast.
Brunson is still under team control for three more seasons, and that includes a $43.3 million player option for 2028-29. If he pushes for a new extension next summer, The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy says the biggest deal available would be a four-year contract worth about $257 million.
If Brunson waits another summer and turns down that player option, the number could jump dramatically. Bondy projects a five-year deal worth roughly $417 million.
And there’s plenty of reason to think Brunson has earned the right to chase that kind of money. In this year’s playoffs, he averaged 28.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 36.3% from 3-point range. He was also named NBA Finals MVP after effectively dismantling Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
Brunson’s postseason run only strengthens the case for a massive payday, but it also puts the Knicks in a difficult spot. James Dolan has shown an aversion to going into the second luxury tax apron, and that has already contributed to the departure of some key players. With Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart also due for extensions, New York could face some ugly decisions when the next round of negotiations arrives.
Brunson has already made clear he wants to be paid for what he gave up earlier. The Knicks may want to make that right, but the payroll picture may not leave them much room to do it cleanly.
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