Jalen Brunson says he hopes the New York Knicks will reciprocate his team-friendly contract extension when he becomes eligible for a max deal in 2028. The All-NBA guard left $113 million on the table by signing in early 2024 instead of waiting for a bigger payday in 2025.
Brunson signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension instead of waiting for a five-year, $269 million contract. The discount provided New York with crucial flexibility to build around the cornerstone of the franchise.
“We would obviously like them to do the right thing for me,” Brunson said. ‘I think anyone would. I feel like I sacrificed myself.”
The 29-year-old is eligible for a five-year deal worth $417.8 million beginning in 2028, although he will be 32 years old that season, an age when smaller guards historically begin to decline. Brunson expressed a pragmatic reasoning behind his decision to sign early rather than risk injury that would put a bigger contract in jeopardy.
“I’ve seen players wait and then get injured, and then they’re at the mercy of the organization,” he said. “A lot of people say I sacrificed for the team. I sacrificed 100 percent for the team. But the most important thing is that I made sure that my family and I are well taken care of.”
Brunson joined the Knicks in 2022 on a four-year, $104 million deal after declining to remain with the Dallas Mavericks alongside Luka Doncic. The decision to leave Dallas was focused on building his own legacy rather than continuing in a supporting role.
“At the time of free agency, I was thinking about all the situations,” Brunson said. “Could I get comfortable and stay in a role next to a future Hall of Famer or create my own path? I was never afraid of failure. When you pursue your dreams, you have to take leaps, even if it’s uncomfortable.”
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