Jalen Brunson left $113 million on the table in 2024. On Saturday night, the New York Knicks won their first NBA championship since 1973. He called it 100 percent worth it.
Brunson scored 45 points in Game 5 to close out the San Antonio Spurs 94-90, earning Finals MVP honors in the process. Speaking to ESPN‘s Malika Andrews after the win, he addressed the sacrifice directly – and left no ambiguity about where he stands.
The Story Behind Jalen Brunson Paycut
In July 2024, Brunson signed a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension with the Knicks – passing on a projected five-year, $269.1 million deal he would have been eligible for in 2025. That gap is where the $113 million figure lives.
Brunson‘s below-market deal gave the Knicks the flexibility to re-sign OG Anunoby on a five-year, $212 million deal, trade five first-rounders for Mikal Bridges, and pull off a blockbuster acquisition for Karl-Anthony Towns.
The extension also includes a fourth-year player option, preserving future leverage. Analysts project Brunson could be eligible for a five-year deal approaching $418 million in 2028-29 if he maintains All-NBA form – meaning this sacrifice could still reap the benefits down the line.
What Brunson Said About the Sacrifice
Brunson spoke to Malika Andrews of ESPN immediately after the Knicks clinched the title. He did not hesitate when the pay cut came up.
Brunson said [Via Bleacher Report]: “100 percent worth it. 100 percent worth it. Even if we didn’t achieve this, I feel like being able to do that and grind and go on a journey to try to achieve it would’ve been worth it as well, but this is definitely the cherry on top.”
That quote does more than express relief. It signals that Brunson made his decision without banking on the outcome – and he meant it either way. The city energy angle landed in the same breath.
Brunson added: “I feel like this entire city, every person who reps Orange & Blue, I feel like they were along for the ride. We definitely felt that energy.”
New York’s fan base had been waiting 52 years for this moment. Brunson acknowledged that weight without performing it – which is exactly the kind of credibility that makes a quote land.
Why This Pay Cut Is Bigger Than the Headline Number
ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski called the extension a “largely unprecedented financial concession” by a current All-NBA guard. That framing matters because it contextualizes how rare this actually is – stars at Brunson‘s leverage point simply do not take this kind of discount.
Former NBA forward Matt Barnes publicly praised the move, saying Brunson‘s sacrifice was “the type of move you don’t see in today’s NBA” and credited it directly with changing the Knicks‘ ceiling. Comparisons to Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes – superstars who took team-friendly deals to keep championship rosters intact – followed immediately from analysts at Yahoo Sports and Fox Sports.
The broader implication is significant. If Brunson‘s model produces a championship, other stars on contending rosters now have a documented case study for why a below-max extension can be the sharper play. That could quietly reshape how the next wave of max-eligible guards approaches their leverage windows – something worth tracking as the NBA’s next draft class begins reshaping the league’s contender landscape.
What Happens Next for Brunson and the Knicks
The Knicks now face the harder problem: sustaining a championship roster under the NBA’s new punitive apron rules. The escalating costs of Brunson, Towns, Bridges, and Anunoby will test the front office’s flexibility – the same flexibility Brunson created in the first place.
Brunson‘s player option year in 2028 is the next inflection point. If he opts out and hits the open market as a champion and Finals MVP in his prime, the number waiting for him will be historic. The $113 million he left on the table may turn out to be the best investment any star has made in recent NBA memory.
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