NBA Rumors: Knicks’ Jalen Brunson ‘Open’ to Contract Extension Talks After Season

zach bacharContributor IApril 5, 2024

Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images

New York Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson would be “open” to discussing a possible contract extension with the team after the 2023-24 season, according to Steve Popper of Newsday.

“I’ve heard whispers that Jalen Brunson would be open to discussions to do [an extension] this summer,” Popper said during a Thursday appearance on The Putback with Ian Begley.

Knicks Videos @sny_knicks”I’ve heard whispers that Jalen Brunson would be open to discussions to do [an extension] this summer” – @StevePopper

Ian, Steve, and @JCMacriNBA talk about how Julius Randle’s season-ending injury will affect the Knicks on The Putback with @IanBegley: https://t.co/StRtXmwONG pic.twitter.com/jcdK6uJAqC

Brunson has two more seasons left on the four-year contract worth $104 million that he signed with the Knicks in the 2022 offseason, which includes a $24.96 million player option for the 2025-26 season (via Spotrac).

The 27-year-old has exceeded expectations since signing the deal, averaging 25.9 points per game in his Knicks career. He made his first All-Star appearance in February, as his current scoring average of 27.8 points each night ranks No. 4 among all players during the 2023-24 season.

Bleacher Report @BleacherReportJalen Brunson FAKED OUT Kings defense for easy clutch bucket 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2x7IUEhMDl

He’s averaging a career-high 6.6 assists per game. His impressive statistical output has also resulted in wins, as the Knicks have been much better with Brunson on the floor. He owns the second-best net rating among any player on the team to appear in more than 30 games (via NBA.com).

Brunson has also been surrounded by familiar faces in New York, as shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo and wing Josh Hart were teammates with him during his college days at Villanova. The Knicks have also become one of the more successful teams in the NBA since his arrival, currently owning the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 44-31.

There doesn’t appear to be a large incentive for him to leave barring a low contract extension offer from New York’s front office, especially with a fellow All-Star teammate in Julius Randle as well as a defensive-minded forward in OG Anunoby. However, the Knicks will be without Randle after he’s expected to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery.

With his reported openness to an extension, the two sides will presumably attempt to secure his long-term future in New York once the offseason begins.