ESPN: I Just Need time For Myself, Knicks Key Player Decline new contract proposal.
With Jalen Brunson’s breakout season this past season and his ability to lead the Knicks to Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs, this fan base is beginning to consider a championship for the first time in a long time. Brunson is considered an MVP candidate.
Aside from having one of the best deals in the NBA, Brunson is apparently already considering his next contract while considering a ground-breaking choice. He is currently halfway through a four-year, $104 million deal.
“Jalen Brunson’s really considering signing the extension and taking way less money (than he could get next summer),” according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.I heard he’s thinking about it.
If Brunson decided to sign before free agency, he would be looking at a 4-year, $156 million extension; but, if he waited until next summer, he could sign for five years and $270 million, making this one of the greatest hometown discounts ever.
It would be unprecedented to leave $114 million on the table, and while the reasons for doing so are unknown, it is reasonable to believe that the Knicks would do this in order to maintain their core and have greater cap flexibility in the future.
Brunson’s Villanova teammates, Donte DiVincenzo and Mikal Bridges, are all signed with the Knicks for the next two years at the very least. However, in a few years, all three of them—Bridges in particular, who has two years remaining on his contract and will only be making $23.3 million and $24.9 million respectively—will probably be getting sizable salary increases.
This would cement Brunson’s status as a Knicks legend and be a startling development in New York.
