Jalen Brunson revealed exactly how his priorities aligned with the $156.5 million contract extension, a deal that felt unprecedented in its sacrifice, as the point guard could have signed for $113 million more next summer.
“Priority A, I secured a decent amount of money, I think, to support myself and my family, my extended family, in the current time. I didn’t have to wait a year,” said Brunson, who is currently on the $104 million contract he signed in 2022. “Like I said, a lot can happen in a year. Everyone in this room has seen how much happens in a year when players wait. So that’s one thing. Number 2 – I’d love to be here, I’d like to be here for the rest of my career.
“And the win is more important than anything I do as an individual. As I said, when you win as a team, the individual players can also grow. That’s always the most important thing for me: What can I do to win?”
The “winning” element of the contract is that Brunson’s salary is kept low enough – his average salary is about $37.5 million over the first three seasons – to increase the chances that the Knicks will not slip into the dreaded second tax burden.
If the Knicks – who are paying the team’s highest salaries to OG Anunoby and Julius Randle next season – fall to the second round, they would be limited in transfers and free agency.
When building a championship contender, some salary cap flexibility can be important, and Brunson admitted he studied documentaries on Tom Brady and Derek Jeter before making his decision.
“First of all, Tom Brady and Derek Jeter are in a class of their own. I’m not saying I’m in that class. Second of all, those guys are the epitome of winning. They did everything they could to win. That was the most important thing to them,” said Brunson, who was introduced as the Knicks’ new captain at MSG on Thursday. “I just knew that if I did that, it would give us a lot of flexibility and put us in a position to win.”
“And I know a lot of people don’t agree with that. A lot of people say it’s not smart from a personal perspective. But I just know – I feel comfortable here. This is my home. I don’t worry about what other people say, what they think. That’s their opinion. They can have it.”
Brunson can recoup much of the money if he signs a big contract after the extension in 2028.
But even if he plays out the full contract for the rest of his career, Brunson could never recoup the $37.1 million difference between the first three years of the extension and the first three years of the theoretical $269.1 million free agency deal through 2025.
The available money, the location and the victory were the priorities.
“I think everyone who knows me knows what I’m up to,” Brunson said. “So if someone calls me to tell me not to take the extension, it’s probably not my colleague. I think about every decision I make. And I’m completely happy with what I did. Of course, I’m fine. Me and my family are fine. That’s the most important thing. But I want to win. I want to win here.”
Brunson did not allude to the financial sacrifice on Thursday when he was presented with a check from the Knicks for his charity, the Second Round Foundation.
“Is it for $113 million?” Brunson joked.
Not quite. It was $20,000.