Jalen Brunson is a max player whose next contract will undoubtedly be huge. There is also a long history of star max players signing slightly lower salaries to help their team clear the salary cap or acquire another player.LeBron James did just that a few days ago, saving the Lakers nearly $3 million to stay under the second tax bracket.).
But $113 million less for a player in his prime is unheard of.
Branson is considering it. According to The Athletic's Fred Katz:For context, on July 12, the Knicks can extend Brunson's contract to a maximum of four years and $156.5 million, up from the $24.9 million salary he's set to receive next season. If Brunson waits until next summer to become a free agent and then re-signs, New York can give him a new five-year, $269.1 million deal.
The Knicks can't make an official offer until Friday, but he knows it's coming, and a league source said a contract extension is still on the table at this point…
But why? The primary reason the contract extension is still in negotiation, according to league sources, is safety. Sources close to Brunson say he has no interest in playing for another team. He calls the Knicks “family,” and sometimes literally…
[The second reason is] Brunson understands the NBA's new financial world, one with two aprons, where front offices fear losing most of their resources if the payroll total is too high… Brunson understands the problems the current CBA poses for team construction, and league sources say that's one reason he's considering a less expensive extension that could allow the Knicks to avoid a second apron in the near future and improve the franchise's chances of winning its first championship since 1973.
The second apron is the biggest winner in the NBA free agent market. Billionaires are scared and make excuses to go beyond that line. Beyond that line, teams not only pay a steeper tax, but also have significant restrictions on team building, such as not being able to use the mid-level exception, not being able to take in more money in a trade than they sent out, no salary combinations, and the list goes on.
The Knicks are competing on the second apron this season. OG Anunoby's new max contract Brunson's salary will jump next season with a contract extension, and Julius Randle is currently up for an extension (which is why his name has come up in trade speculation). Two seasons later, in the summer of 2026, Mikal Bridges and Mitchell Robinson will become free agents and will need to be re-signed. The salary cap is rising, but not nearly as fast. The Knicks will have some tough decisions to make.
It's admirable that Brunson wants to help the team in this way. After next season, he'll have made $85 million in salary over seven seasons in the NBA. That all changes with his next contract, which will be nearly double what he's made in the league so far.
But a record contract of $269.1 million is truly a generational asset. His kids and grandkids won't have to worry about money. That kind of security means a lot to a family. He deserves it. He's the biggest basketball star in the country, the biggest market and the home of basketball. He deserves that salary to the Knicks, both on the court and in terms of what he brings to the club in sponsorships, ticket sales and other revenue. People are tuning in to watch Brunson play.
What decision Branson ultimately makes may become clear this weekend.
