Getty Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks walks across the court before Game Four of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.
All-Star guard Jalen Brunson finally addressed the reported looming extension talks this summer that would give the New York Knicks a hometown discount.
“I don’t know what extension talks you’re talking about,” Brunson told his Knicks teammate Josh Hart in their “Roommates Show” podcast on May 31. “I’m not going to lie to you.”
Newsday’s Steve Popper earlier reported that there is some expectation that Brunson would be amenable to a contract extension this summer.
“Jalen Brunson is eligible for a four-year, $156 million contract extension that sources have indicated he would take rather than wait another year,” Popper wrote on May 20.
However, signing an extension this summer does not make sense financially for the Knicks star.
“I just saw on Twitter like you’re eligible,” Hart replied to Brunson.
“[Do] you believe everything you see on Twitter?” Brunson snapped back.
The 27-year-old Brunson, who has just entered his prime years would be eligible to sign a far more lucrative — five-year, $270 million contract — in the 2025 offseason if he declines the player option of his current four-year, $104 million deal he signed as a free agent in 2022.
Brunson has already outplayed his current deal. He led the Knicks anew to the second round of the playoffs, averaging career-highs 28.7 points and 6.7 assists, this time without Julius Randle since January 27 and with OG Anunoby in and out of the lineup.
Brunson raised his game in the playoffs, averaging 32.4 points and 7.5 assists but he hurt his hand in their Game 7 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The injury, which needed surgery, was an anti-climactic ending to Brunson’s best season in the NBA in which he earned his first All-Star selection and a spot in the All-NBA Second Team.
Other Knicks Star Wants to Stay Long-Term
The Knicks’ other star — Randle — is also eligible to sign a four-year, $181.5 million extension if the option is declined, or a three-year $140.3 million extension if he opts in, per ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks.
But unlike Brunson, Randle does not have the leverage coming off another major surgery that caused him to miss the second half of the season and the playoffs. So Randle will most likely sign an extension this summer if the Knicks offer it to him.
“I’ve always said from the very beginning I would love to be here in New York and I would love to continue to add on to what the guys did in the playoffs,” Randle said, per New York Post on May 31. “I feel like that was my personal — biggest personal goal, or I’d say team goal in a sense, was when I got here is to be able to build and compete and to be at the point where we’re at now, where it’s an actual possibility [to win a championship].
So really, that’s what my focus is, doing whatever I can to make sure I get healthy and get back and make sure I’m ready whenever we start playing again and contribute to winning. That’s really all my focus is and that stuff always in my career has taken care of itself.”
Josh Hart Wished He’s Also Eligible to Extend
Hart’s four-year, $81 million extension he signed last summer kicks in next season. But he wished his extension talks came a year late.
“I didn’t say you’re talking,” Hart told Brunson in their “Roommate Show” podcast, referring to what he read on X, formerly Twitter. “I’m just saying you’re eligible. I’m not eligible for anything. I wish I was eligible.”
Hart benefitted from Randle’s injury. Since Randle went down with a dislocated right shoulder on January 27, Hart averaged 12.7 points, 10.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 50 games, including the playoffs.
Aside from Brunson and Randle who are eligible to sign a new deal, Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein are expected to get rich contracts as free agents.
“We have really good pieces who are on good contracts right and can grow with,” Hart said. “But then on the friend-teammate side you’re like damn I wish all of us were free agents because all of us could go get a bag except for JB (Brunson). He’s going get his anyways.”
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