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‘Build the Statue’: Fans React as Jalen Brunson Takes USD 113M Pay Cut in Knicks Contract Inspired by Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes
Jalen Brunson took inspiration from Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes when working on his new contract with the New York Knicks.
New York Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson is following in the footsteps of Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes by agreeing to a new contract that pays him less to benefit the team. Brunson, 27, signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension with the Knicks, as announced on Friday.
By doing this now instead of next year, he's set to earn $113 million less in guaranteed money than he would be eligible for in 2025, according to his agent Sam Rose of CAA to ESPN. Adrian Wojnarowski provided more details.
Why take the cut? Brunson's huge pay reduction will help the Knicks maintain their current roster and add necessary pieces as they aim for a championship after falling short in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers last season. Here's how fans reacted.
Fans react to Jaylen Brunson taking a $113 million pay cut in new Knicks contract
Although Brunson is giving up money now, Wojnarowski reported that he can "recoup the $113 million on a four-year, $323 million maximum extension in 2028 or a new five-year, $418 million deal in 2029."
The Knicks are in their best position for a championship run in three decades after re-signing OG Anunoby, trading for Mikal Bridges, and now extending Brunson, who just made his first All-NBA team. His teammate and close friend Josh Hart praised Brunson's move.
So did many fans.
"They gotta retire his jersey now wtf," one fan said.
While another taunted LeBron James, "This is what a 'paycut' is @KingJames."
Another fan said, "They got his homies so he decided to take a major pay cut that’s real asl."
"Man I know $156M is a lot of money but passing up on an extra $113M is wild," said another.
"The King of NY," mentioned another.
Knicks president Leon Rose said Brunson signing the extension showed the "dedication and passion he has for the organization, the fans, and this city."
Brunson's agent, Sam Rose, is the son of team president Leon Rose. Brunson’s father, Rick, is an assistant coach under Tom Thibodeau and was Leon Rose’s first client when he was playing in the NBA. The elder Rose was a player agent before leading the Knicks.
Jalen Brunson's move is inspired by NFL greats like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes
In his six championship-winning seasons in New England, Brady was rarely among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the sport. For example, even after increasing his average annual salary from $9 million to $20.5 million in 2016, Brady still ranked only 12th among quarterbacks in annual pay.
This selflessness allowed New England to keep stars like Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Nate Solder, and Dont’a Hightower for several seasons.
Meanwhile, Derek Jeter signed a three-year, $51 million deal following his 10-year, $189 million contract, slightly lowering his annual pay so the Yankees could retain players like Alex Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia, and Mark Teixeira.
The latest is Mahomes, who restructured his 10-year, $503 million deal this offseason to free up over $21 million in cap space.
While Mahomes no longer ranks among the top-five annual salaries in the NFL, his generous decision allowed the two-time defending champion Chiefs to keep defensive tackle Chris Jones and add receiver Marquise Brown.
Although Jeter’s strategy didn’t yield the same success in baseball, Mahomes and Brady have shown that stars taking less money can lead to more well-rounded and championship-winning teams.
With Brunson saving the Knicks over $37 million in cap space with his deal, the team can stay aggressive, as seen in their trade for Mikal Bridges and retention of O.G. Anunoby.
Mikal Bridges to follow suit?
With Jalen Brunson taking a massive pay cut for the Knicks, other players might do the same. Evan Sidery of Forbes reported that new Knicks addition Mikal Bridges is expected to take a pay cut on his upcoming long-term deal with the Knicks. Bridges has always been a team player, so this is unsurprising.
"With Jalen Brunson’s record-setting bargain extension complete, the strong expectation is Mikal Bridges will also take a discount on his upcoming new long-term deal with the Knicks. The Villanova duo will be setting up New York to be championship contenders for years to come."
Mikal Bridges was recently traded to the Knicks from the Brooklyn Nets in a big deal, with the Knicks giving up five first-round picks to land the former Villanova standout. Bridges was reunited with his college teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo.
Bridges signed a four-year, $90.9 million contract with the Phoenix Suns in 2022. He was traded to the Nets during the 2022-23 NBA season. He has two years left on his current contract, earning $48.2 million over the next two years.
Bridges is likely to sign an extension soon. According to this report, he will likely restructure the deal to give the team more flexibility with the salary cap, allowing them to add better players as they aim for a championship.
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