Knicks Winners and Losers from 2024 NBA Free Agency

The New York Knicks were one of the NBA's biggest winners this offseason.

Now, that wasn't entirely due to free agency (which notably saw the subtraction of center Isaiah Hartenstein), but New York did make some critical moves on that front.

We'll detail some of those deals while examining two winners and one loser from the Knicks in free agency.

OG Anunoby just finished his seventh NBA season. He hasn't cleared the 70-game mark since his first go-round. His career-high averages top out at 17.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists. And for all the attention his defense gets, it seems worth mentioning he's only once been selected to an All-Defensive team (second team in 2022-23).

His profile pegs him as something between a good and really good player. His new pay rate treats him more like a great one after signing a five-year, $212.5 million deal.

Even better, he doesn't have to worry about always running himself ragged defensively, since Mikal Bridges is around now to help handle the toughest defensive assignments. And because the 'Bockers aren't overloaded with scorers (Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle were the only Knicks to average 16-plus points per game), maybe Anunoby will have a chance to expand his offensive profile.

This is about as good as things could've gone for Anunoby on the open market. He's not only making an absurd amount of money, he'll be cashing those checks while helping one of the league's most glamorous teams make a legitimate push for a championship.

Back in May—before the Knicks opted against extending Precious Achiuwa a qualifying offer—David Vertsberger opined for SNY that Achiuwa could command "a contract in the $8 million to $12 million range over multiple seasons."

And remember, that estimate was made with the assumption Achiuwa could be caught in the thorny world of restricted free agency.

The Knicks allowed him to reach unrestricted free agency instead, and he still wound up only getting a one-year, $6 million to stay in New York. That can't be the kind of coin he thought he'd collect after playing a quietly pivotal role for the Knicks, making 18 regular-season starts and two more in the playoffs along their injury-riddled frontcourt.

He is a versatile defender, an active rebounder and a reliable finisher around the basket. He's also only 24 years old. He is the kind of player teams could make a priority in certain summers, but in this market, he was overlooked and wound up underpaid.

How many people—let alone NBA players—had a better summer than Jalen Brunson? The list can't be long.

First, he saw the Knicks trade for his college teammate, Mikal Bridges, giving this group four different members of Villanova's national championship team. Then, Brunson inked a four-year, $156.5 million extension that saw him universally praised for the money he left on the table ($113 million less than he would've been eligible to get a year from now).

Here's the sweetest part of that pact, though. The sacrifice might not be what it seems. It's real money, to be clear, and it gives New York flexibility going forward, but Brunson has a chance to recoup a lot of that cash in the future. As ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski relayed, Brunson's contract includes a fourth-year player option, which could set him up to sign a four-year, $323 million extension in 2028 or a five-year, $418 million deal in 2029.

Maybe Brunson winds up collecting all of that cake. Maybe he doesn't. Either way, he secured a set-for-life pay raise for the chance to chase championships with his college buddies, and he could still get that pay bump down the line. Have a summer, Mr. Brunson.