Jalen Brunson became a Knicks legend this summer. First, getting New York back to the second round of the playoffs, the first time New York has reached the second round (or more) of the playoffs since 1999-2000.
Then, after the season, he got a huge discount on his next contract.
Why? Brunson said why he wants to win in New York – and yes, he realized what he was doing.
“I think about every decision I make and I’m completely comfortable with what I did,” Brunson said, via the Associated Press.
“Obviously I’m fine, me and my family, obviously we’re fine, so that’s first and foremost. But I want to win. I want to win here.”
Brunson agreed to a deal to help the Knicks: four years, $156.5 million. It’s a great deal, because if Brunson had lived out his contract and become a free agent, next summer he could have re-signed with the Knicks for five years, $269.1 million – that’s $112.5 million a year. more than he received. Or, to look at it another way, Brunson agreed to a contract that pays him an average of $39.1 million per year over the next four years, but if he had waited he could have made an average of $53.8 million per year.
For Brunson, winning is worth it.
New York made its big move this offseason by trading for Mikal Bridges, a coveted two-way wing who averaged 19.6 points per game last season in Brooklyn. This is a gamble on fit — Bridges is another Villanova guy who should mesh well with the Knicks’ rotation — and the sum is more than the individual parts.
Brunson wants the Knicks to take a step beyond the second round.
Here’s what he said Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
“It’s good to know we’re candidates, but I think we have to go to training camp without that word being said…
“Obviously I said I wanted to get past the second round after getting there two years in a row. But we can’t just go into the season and go back to the second round. We have to go back and start all over again. We have some new pieces and some familiar faces , so what can we do with it?
