Knicks Rumors: Jalen Brunson Open to Contract Extension, Doesn’t Care About Money

Doric SamApril 16, 2024

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson is eligible for a contract extension this summer, and it sounds like he’s looking to get a deal done that will keep him in the Big Apple for the foreseeable future.

Ian Begley of SNY reported on The Putback that Brunson is “open” to a contract extension with the Knicks and “doesn’t really care” about the money aspect of the deal.

Knicks Videos @sny_knicks”What I’ve heard is that [Jalen Brunson] doesn’t really care about being a headline, money-making player as a free agent. He’s not caught up in that stuff. He likes it here, he really wants to see this organization keep going in this direction and to have success with him here.… pic.twitter.com/2EDMA9WV1C

Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks two years ago. He’s set to make $24.9 million in the 2024-25 season, and he has a player option for the same amount for the following year.

After his excellent 2023-24 campaign, Brunson would undoubtedly command a max deal if he hits the open market in the summer of 2025. The Knicks would be wise to lock him up with a new deal before he reaches that point, especially considering the fact that he’s not looking to break the bank.

“Jalen Brunson isn’t going anywhere, I think we all know that. He’s gonna be a Knick for a very long time,” Tim Bontemps said. “… But if he is open to signing for less than the absolute max he can get, the Knicks should do it, because it’s both gonna be a good contract for them and it’s also gonna give them a better chance of staying out of the second apron, giving them the ability to still be positioned, with all their assets and all their draft picks, to be able to go get the next true blue superstar player that becomes available.”

The 27-year-old played 77 games this season and averaged career highs of 28.4 points and 6.7 assists to lead New York to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 50-32 record. It’s the team’s first 50-win season since 2012-13.

Brunson is a superstar on the rise, so it bears watching how the Knicks handle his contract situation this offseason.