After re-signing OG Anunoby, the New York Knicks have kept another player. On Friday, guard Jalen Brunson signed a four-year contract extension of $156.5 million, which is $113 million less guaranteed than what he was eligible to sign for a year from now, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
If Brunson had waited till next year, he could have signed a five-year, $269.1 million deal. He could make up the $113 million that he's giving up by taking a four-year $323 million maximum extension in 2028 or a new five-year $418 million deal in 2029. The extension keeps the Knicks out of the second-apron level of the salary cap, a threshold that severely limits a team's ability to make trades, sign players, and use draft picks. The Knicks have already spent a lot this offseason with Anunoby re-signing the trade for Mikal Bridges and now Brunson's extension.
"Jalen has often called the Knicks his family and we are beyond proud to have him wear and represent our orange and blue for years to come,” Knicks president Leon Rose said in a statement. “Jalen has embraced every challenge since he's come to New York and has been committed since day one to the vision and plan we set forth for the future of this team.
Brunson signed a four-year deal with the Knicks in 2022. Since that signing, he has become one of the best players on the Knicks. Last season, he averaged career highs of 28.7 points and 6.7 assists while 47.9 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from three-point range, helping the Knicks make it to the Eastern Conference Semis. In the playoffs, he averaged 32.4 points, 7.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and had four straight 40-point games, becoming the first player to have four 40-point games in a row in the playoffs since Michael Jordan.
With Brunson's extension and Anunoby staying, the Knicks took one step closer to a championship. Brunson's taking a pay cut will allow the Knicks to build a team around him and Anunoby. Last season, the Knicks were championship contenders, but they lost a couple of players. The Knicks may have to make some more moves, even though they acquired Mikal Bridges, in order to win a championship, but with Brunson locked up for another four years, their title window has arrived.
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