With their 2024 NBA Playoffs coming to an end over the weekend, New York Knicks rumors have already started popping up. The team has a lot of tasks on its to-do list, as several players are in line for new contracts, including Jalen Brunson.
Unlike OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alec Burks and Precious Achiuwa, Jalen Brunson is under contract for the 2024-25 season. He is eligible for an extension, while the other players are set to hit unrestricted and restricted free agency.
If recent Knicks rumors involving their star guard are true, the franchise is going to hit another home run in the 2024 offseason. According to Steve Popper of Newsday, all signs are pointing to Jalen Brunson agreeing to an extension.
It would be a four-year, $156 million extension, providing the team with at least five more seasons of stability. That would be a huge victory for the New York Knicks, as Jalen Brunson would be passing up on the opportunity to sign a five-year, $270 million supermax in 2025.
As shared by Jeremy Cohen of Knicks Film School and The Strickland, the first-year salary of the four-year extension would be $34.9 million. That would make him the 34th highest-paid player in the league, making less money than Darius Garland, LaMelo Ball, Deandre Ayton and Desmond Bane. He would possess the best non-rookie contract in the NBA by a mile.
Such a contract would open so many avenues up for the New York Knicks. Having their best player locked into a long-term deal provides the team with stability and easier recruiting pitches when you know Jalen Brunson is going to be part of the equation.
Also, players could be inclined to spend less money on deals. Brunson is setting the tone and everyone else who is negotiating deals with the Knicks could look to do the same so the front office can continue upgrading the roster.
Knicks rumors are only getting started, as the team will be on the hunt for upgrades this offseason. Potentially having Jalen Brunson locked in on a new long-term deal will put a lot of people at ease and allow them to focus elsewhere.
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