The Knicks are riding high, and Jalen Brunson is the biggest reason why. He’s been the face of this run, the guy at the center of everything, and the fact that he already took a pay cut to help New York only makes the situation more delicate when his next deal comes due.
That’s where Donovan Mitchell enters the picture. Mitchell just signed a huge extension with the Cavaliers, and the reaction around it wasn’t exactly all praise. The contract is already drawing scrutiny, and it offers the Knicks a preview of the kind of financial squeeze that can follow when a team has no choice but to pay its star.
Brunson has two years left on his current contract, including a player option, and by the time New York has to make its move he’ll be 32 years old. That’s the kind of age where a max deal can get uncomfortable fast, even for a player who has done everything the Knicks could ask for and more.
The Knicks are going to pay him. That much feels inevitable. But the cost could be steep, not just in dollars, but in what it does to the rest of the roster.
Cleveland is already staring at that reality with Mitchell. The Cavs are in a tricky spot with the second apron looming, and the money on the books keeps piling up.
Evan Mobley is on a monster contract. James Harden is going to get paid, regardless of whether the Cavs end up getting LeBron James.
Jarrett Allen and Max Strus are also making solid money.
By the time Mitchell reaches the final year of his deal, he’ll be making around $75 million. That kind of number almost guarantees roster surgery, because something has to give.
If the Knicks hand Brunson the max on his next extension, he could be looking at roughly $65 million in the first year alone. And New York already has plenty of expensive commitments to juggle. Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart will all need new contracts by then, and Mikal Bridges might be in line for one too if he declines his player option.
That’s the lesson Mitchell’s deal is handing the Knicks. Once you pay your best player at that level, the rest of the roster can start to come apart. New York is going to have to make hard choices, and soon enough, it may find itself in the same kind of bind Cleveland is facing now.
In Other News...
CJ McCollum Just Said What Knicks Fans Never Wanted To Hear
The Knicks got through Atlanta in six games, but the way they finished the first-round series said a lot more than the final 4-2 result. After dropping two of the first three, New York settled in and won the last three in a row, turning what looked like a tense matchup into a one-sided close.
CJ McCollums postseries assessment tried to put a different spin on it, saying the Knicks figured something out and that the Hawks pushed them to the limit. From New Yorks side, though, the closing stretch told a harsher story for Atlanta, with the Knicks separating themselves by huge margins and leaving little doubt about who had control when the series mattered most. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Fans Already Have A Reason To Revisit That Draft Trade
The Knicks old first-rounder already has a little extra shine attached to it after the 2026 NBA Draft, when Dallas used the No. 25 pick that once belonged to New York. The Mavericks came away with a guard they believe can grow into a useful piece, and his early showing in Las Vegas only added to the intrigue around what the Knicks gave up in that deal.
Sergio De Larrea turned heads during Summer League with a strong outing that included 16 points and 12 assists, the kind of production that makes a late first-round selection look a lot more interesting. For New York, it is the sort of draft-trade reminder that can linger, especially when the player on the other end starts looking like more than just another name on a board. [Read more 🡒]
Andre Drummond Gives Knicks One Thing Fans Never Had With Mitch
When the Knicks moved on from Mitchell Robinson, they were not just replacing a rim protector and rebounder. They were also looking for a center who could survive late-game situations without becoming a foul-shot liability, and Andre Drummond gives them a different kind of answer. Signed to a one-year deal, he arrives with the kind of interior presence New York needs, but with a more dependable touch at the line than the player he is stepping in for.
Drummond also brings a little more to the table offensively than people usually associate with a traditional backup center. He knocked down 35.6 percent of his threes last season on limited attempts, which at least gives the Knicks something they did not have at the position before. For a team trying to keep its spacing clean around Karl-Anthony Towns and its perimeter scorers, that small layer of versatility could matter more than it looks on paper. [Read more 🡒]