Knicks Have Huge Responsibility Towards Jalen Brunson Post USD 113 Million Sacrifice, Says Brian Windhorst

Brunson was expected to wait till next season to sign a USD 269 million extension, making his latest decision one of the biggest outliers in league history.

By Jitesh Tiwari

Published on Jul 18, 2024 | 01:12 AM IST | 86.4K

Source: Getty Images

By now, seemingly every NBA fan is aware of Jalen Brunson’s shocking $113 million pay cut decision. When the news broke out last week, it remained viral for days and still is a topic of discussion amongst the larger NBA community.

The 2023-24 All-Star signing a veteran extension would’ve naturally created conversations on the subject matter. However, him inking the deal a year early and passing on hundreds of millions caused the story to really blow up.

Senior ESPN writer and journalist Brian Windhorst shed light on the story in his latest episode of the Hoop Collective Podcast. Joined by fellow colleagues Tim Bontemps and Kevin Pelton, the three discussed the biggest winners and losers of the NBA offseason so far, including Brunson’s impactful extension.

ALSO READ: Fans React as Jalen Brunson Takes USD 113M Pay Cut in Knicks Contract

Windhorst believes the Knicks must back Brunson’s sacrifice

Sharing his wisdom on the matter, Windhorst stated: “One of the things about the NBA, one of the lessons learned is when the sun shines, you’ve got to take the money. No matter how much it is, it could be more. It could be your one opportunity.

He further added, “Jalen is doing this because he trusts the Knicks and because he wants to be in New York. It is still a huge outlier in the history of contracts. The Knicks now have a responsibility to Jalen to really keep the gas down and make that sacrifice financially worth it.”

After the Mavericks denied giving Brunson a 4-year $54 million extension, he came to New York determined to prove his potential. Brunson has helped lead the Knicks to back-to-back Eastern Conference Semifinals and finished fifth in this year’s MVP race.

Taking a pay cut is Brunson’s gesture of allowing the Knicks to further solidify an already stacked team in the Eastern Conference. This sets up the Knicks to potentially sign Mikal Bridges to either a two-year deal in October or a more promising four-year deal next year.

This also allows the Knicks to possibly extend Julius Randle, who will be eligible for his four-year extension next season.

Brunson’s extension means that the Knicks have their core, i.e., the Nova Knicks, together for at least a couple of years. His financial sacrifice has earned New York an opportunity to remain top contenders in the Eastern Conference for multiple seasons. If all goes smoothly and as expected, we may be fortunate enough to call the Knicks NBA Champions by the end of 2020s.

ALSO READ: Jalen Brunson Net Worth 2024 - Salary, Endorsements, and Investments.