According to NBA reporter Fred Katz of The Athletic, Jalen Brunson might sign an extension with the New York Knicks this offseason, even though it means leaving a significant amount of money on the table.
Brunson is not eligible for a super max contract because he signed a free-agent deal with the Knicks in July 2022, a four-year, $104 million contract.
“The Knicks can’t make their official offer until Friday, but he knows it’s coming,” Katz wrote. “And to this point, according to a league source, signing the extension is still under consideration. If Brunson were to take it, cementing a deal that would promise him nine figures less than one he could receive as a free agent a year from now, it would do wonders for the Knicks — and not because it places extra dollars in James Dolan’s pockets.”
The NBA limits how much players can earn in extensions, capping Brunson’s new salary at 140 percent of his previous year’s salary. He would play out the 2024-25 season, the final year of his current deal, before the four-year, $156.5 million extension kicks in, taking him through 2028-29. However, if Brunson waits until the 2025 free agency, he could sign a max contract worth a projected $269.1 million over five years.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72345718/usa_today_20584988.0.jpg)
“That’s a difference of $113 million guaranteed. It’s a $39.1 million average annual value in the extension versus a $53.8 million one in the free-agent contract. And it’s possible the difference in money is too large, and Brunson waits until next summer to earn his quarter-billion. However, he’s considering the other scenario, too.”
Brunson is set to make $24.9 million next season. He averaged 28.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists for the Knicks in 2023-24, shooting 47.9% from the field, 40.1% from beyond the arc, and 84.7% from the free-throw line.
In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Brunson fractured his left hand against the Indiana Pacers, finishing the 2024 playoffs with averages of 32.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists.
Brunson has career averages of 16.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists with the Dallas Mavericks and Knicks. He was the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft out of Villanova.
