The Knicks’ starting five is a thing of pure beauty.
The New York Knicks were blessed by starting point guard Jalen Brunson on Friday, who signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension that kicks in during the 2025–26 season. Instead of opting for a five-year, $270 max contract in free agency next year, he did the Knicks a solid, giving them substantial financial flexibility now to maximize his earnings later.
Jalen Brunson’s Strategic Move Boosts Knicks’ Financial Flexibility
In the end, Brunson has the luxury of building a timeless legacy in New York and potentially cashing in again on a new contract with a player option in the fourth year of his new deal. Essentially, he will be under team control until the 2027-28 season, when he can sign another mammoth contract.
However, Brunson leading the charge for the next few seasons at less AAV than OG Anunoby is a blessing. He’s coming off a year where he averaged 28.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, shooting .479 from the field and .401 from three-point range. He ranked fifth in MVP voting and was the Knicks’ most important player throughout the campaign, helping them make moves despite injuries.
Brunson’s Impact and Team Dynamics
The respect that Brunson commands due to his scoring prowess will open up the Knicks’ other four starters to have more success. The team recently acquired Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for five first-round picks. Bridges has a $23 million salary hit this upcoming season, one of the more favorable contracts given his potential. He was never able to live up to the hype with Brooklyn due to their constant turnover.
However, the 6’6″, 209-pound forward averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists this past season, including a .436 field goal percentage. Bridges is known to be one of the best wing defenders in the league, ranking second in Defensive Player of the Year voting back during the 2021–22 season with Phoenix. He can now return to that version of himself, using his athletic profile and size to man up players of all shapes and sizes.
The Knicks aren’t only getting a young player with potential left to extract but one of the more healthier assets on the roster. Bridges has played a minimum of 72 games in every year of his professional career, so that is a variable that shouldn’t go undetected.
Opposite Bridges, the Knicks brought back Anunoby on a long-term extension. Anunoby is one of the best defensive players in the league as well, locking down anyone the Knicks throw his way. He averaged 14.7 points this past season between Toronto and New York but contributed 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He shot .489 from the field and .382 from downtown, promoting his offensive potential.
