Speaking on Thursday to reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson explained why he was willing to accept a four-year, $156.5MM contract extension this summer. The deal was the biggest one Brunson was able to sign at this point, but he could have landed a significantly more lucrative payday if he had waited another year.
“Priority A, I secured I think a decent amount of money to support myself and my family, my extended family in the current time. I didn’t have to wait a year,” Brunson said. “Like I said, a lot can happen in a year. Everyone in this room has seen a lot happen in a year when players wait out. So that’s one thing. No. 2 — I would love to be here, I want to be here the rest of my career. And winning trumps everything I do individually. Like I said, when you win as a team, individuals can grow from that. That’s at the front of my mind at all times — what can I do to win?”
While Brunson will have a chance down the road to make up much of the money he “lost” by signing an early extension, his deal will provide the Knicks with added cap flexibility for the next few seasons. The veteran point guard told reporters that he has studied team-first champions from other sports, such as Tom Brady and Derek Jeter, and that he took those examples into account when making his decision.
“First, Tom Brady and Derek Jeter are in a class of their own. I’m not saying I’m a part of that class,” Brunson said. “Second, those dudes are the epitome of winning. They did whatever it took to win. That was on the forefront of their minds. I just knew if I did this, it would give us a lot of flexibility and put us in position to win.
“And I know that a lot of people don’t agree with it. A lot of people are saying it’s not the smart thing from a personal standpoint. But I just know — I’m comfortable here. This is home for me. I don’t worry about what anybody else says, what they think. That’s their opinion. They can have it.”
Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:
- The Knicks, who acquired Mathias Lessort‘s draft rights back in 2020, inquired earlier this offseason about the 28-year-old’s interest in coming stateside, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. However, the two sides weren’t able to find common ground, says Begley. Vincent Collet, the head coach of the French national team, recently expressed surprise that Lessort isn’t in the NBA.
- In a conversation with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Nets point guard Dennis Schröder talked about growing up in Germany, playing in the Olympics, and his desire to remain in Brooklyn for the final year of his current contract — and potentially well beyond that. “I want to be in Brooklyn long-term. Hopefully that works out,” Schröder said. “I want to be a veteran who shows the young people the way and how we should play and how we play as a team. I understand that the NBA is always more individual, but I want to make one team like we had in Atlanta where it was about just winning and really not (caring) who scores. And I want to bring that back to the NBA, to the Brooklyn Nets.”
- While plenty can change between now and July 2025, the Nets are currently the only team projected to have significant cap room next summer, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Even before accounting for possible in-season trades and/or extensions, cap projections can vary significantly depending on which cap holds and options are assumed to be on the books, but Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) also projects Brooklyn to have the most cap space of any team in 2025.
Why was there another article saying the 76ers owned Lessort’s rights
Another article mentioned that Philadelphia originally drafted him, but not that they still owned his rights. They were traded a bunch of times (first to the Clippers, then the Wolves, then the Knicks).
Yes I had to go back and look. The other article doesn’t say anything other than the 76ers drafted him but nothing else, it looks as if the 76ers own his rights without this article coming out a couple days after the other one
Have to love Brunson, understands he can “get by” on 40m a year and what that extra cap room does for his team to be able to try and win. Probably less than 5 guys in the nba that would do what he did (that are on his level)
Plus there is no way he isn’t making some serious coin from sponsorship deals playing in New York
Dudes wanna remain long term on every team they end up on. Schroder like many players just say the same tired thing that the majority of players say.
Nets are tanking, and they should be. Schroder will be traded as will
All about next yrs draft for Nets.
Hence why nets should trade Cam Johnson.
Cam Johnson has a horrible contract and is the laughing stock of what new age PF’s look like and plays like. Definitely trade him. Trade him for Bruce Brown like you said
BKN traded with HOU to get back control of their own FRPs for the next 2 years, with the cost being control of PHX FRPs on essentially a 2 for 1 basis. They’re either planning to tank hard, or they’re not very good at math.
I like that Brunson was also thinking “thats a buttload of money today” and took it. Tomorrow is promised to no man.