New York Knicks

The New York Knicks have been one of the offseason winners, trading for Mika Bridges and re-signing OG Anunoby to form an excellent core around Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.

But some insiders wonder if Brunson is truly good enough to lead the team to a title, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein:

People around the NBA still ask if Brunson, given his size and defensive limitations, can be the best player on a championship team. Go ahead if you want to persist with that line of questioning. I don't. He's an absolute winner and culture-setter who, with his ability to pull everyone in the organization together on top of what his herky-jerky offensive craftiness generates, has set the Knicks up for success better than any player, coach or executive they've brought to town in the 21st century.

Brunson, 27, was fantastic in the 2023-24 playoffs, averaging 32.4 points and 7.5 assists per game in 13 overall contests, though the Knicks were unable to get past the second round of the playoffs.

Injuries didn't help, which included Brunson fracturing his hand in the decisive Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Pacers.

But one of the trends in NBA history is that elite wings tend to translate to championships more than other positions. And even if wings aren't a championship team's best players, it is often historically unique players like Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Tim Duncan getting their teams over the hump.

And they tend to be surrounded by very good wings.

Brunson will have those in Bridges and Anunoby. But he isn't the greatest shooter of all time like Curry; the most uniquely gifted playmaker at center like Jokić; an unstoppable 7'0" freight train at the basket, who has the athleticism of a wing, like Antetokounmpo; or a two-way game-changer like Duncan who was the model of consistency.

Brunson benefitted from getting to the free-throw line in this past postseason, with 7.2 points per game coming from the line on an average of 9.2 attempts. But against teams with elite perimeter defenders, it's fair to wonder if the 6'2" guard will be able to consistently generate efficient offense, in a playoff environment, outside of getting to the line.

The Boston Celtics, for instance, can throw a number of excellent defenders his way. The Philadelphia 76ers have a number of solid perimeter defenders on the wing and plenty of length after an excellent offseason of their own. Those teams could give Brunson some issues.

Great players find a way, of course, and Brunson is making a case to be considered one of the league's best offensive playmakers. But expectations haven't been higher for these Knicks in years, and anything less than a title will be seen as a disappointment. The Knicks are going to go as far as Brunson can take them, and that has led to some questions about the team's true ceiling.

After Jalen Brunson agreed to a contract extension with the New York Knicks that left $113 million on the table, newly acquired swingman Mikal Bridges reportedly could do something similar.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Monday that sources said there's an "expectation" that Bridges "is likely to follow Brunson's lead and sign a team-friendly deal of his own when it's his turn to negotiate an extension."

Brunson agreed to a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension on Friday. He would have had the chance to sign a five-year, $269 million extension if he waited until next summer, but his choice to sign for less money gives New York more cap space to work with as it continues to try to build a roster capable of competing for a championship.

The Knicks took a major step in that direction by acquiring Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets earlier this offseason. Bridges starred at Villanova alongside Brunson and his Knicks teammates Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. The team also re-signed OG Anunoby to a max contract, and the pairing with Bridges creates arguably the best defensive wing combination in the NBA.

Bridges is eligible to sign a short-term extension with the Knicks starting on Oct. 1. He can sign a four-year deal with New York if he chooses to wait until after the 2024-25 season.

The Knicks have reached the Eastern Conference semifinals in each of the last two seasons. Their promising run this year was derailed by a slew of injuries to multiple key players, so they are surely motivated to make a deeper run next year.

Brunson's extension and Bridges' impending deal should allow New York to remain in title contention for years to come.

Kyle Lowry won't be joining the "Villanova Knicks" next season, but it may not have been by choice.

Lowry joked the New York Knicks "didn't want" him in free agency while teeing off Sunday at the American Century Championship.

Lowry chose to remain with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, signing a one-year deal with his hometown team.

"To play for Coach [Nick] Nurse again, represent my city, and also get an opportunity to play for a championship with a good group," Lowry told reporters earlier this weekend. " … I just think we've got a great opportunity to get better, and I felt like it was the best place for me at this moment."

The Knicks now have four Villanova players on their roster after trading for Mikal Bridges last month. Bridges joins Donte DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart among the former Wildcats that have made their way to the Big Apple.

Lowry played at Villanova a full generation of players before DiVencenzo, Brunson, Bridges and Hart, but he could have been a fun potential fit coming off the bench.

As it stands, Lowry will be part of the roster tasked with helping take down his fellow Villanova cohorts in a battle for Eastern Conference supremacy.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson modeled his new four-year, $156.5 million contract extension after deals struck by championship-winning legends in other sports, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

"Brunson's study of championship organizations and franchise stars -- Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs, the Tom Brady New England Patriots and the Derek Jeter New York Yankees -- gave him a blueprint for MVP-level players who structured contracts to give their teams the best chances at sustainable title runs."

Brunson would have been eligible to sign for $113 million more in guaranteed money a year from now, per his agent Sam Rose of CAA to ESPN. Wojnarowski provided more details.

Although Brunson is giving up money now, Wojnarowski reported that he can "recoup the $113 million on a four-year, $323 million maximum extension in 2028 or a new five-year, $418 million deal in 2029."

The Knicks are in the best position they've been for a championship run in three decades after re-signing OG Anunoby, trading for Mikal Bridges and now extending Brunson, who just made his first All-NBA team.

Teammate and close friend Josh Hart loved Brunson's move.

As did numerous fans.

Now the Knicks, with Brunson leading the way, move forward in their quest to win the franchise's first title since 1973.

The New York Knicks accrued a total of $37.1 million in future cap savings by signing Jalen Brunson to a four-year extension this summer rather than a five-year deal in 2025, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Brunson's deal is worth $156.5 million over the stretch, rather than the $269 million he could have gotten next offseason, Wojnarowski reported.

Brunson's deal comes with a fourth-year player option for the 2028-29 season, Wojnarowski noted.

For now, Brunson's extension will help the Knicks participate in free agency, trade and the draft by keeping the team below the second salary cap apron, per Wojnarowski.

Per Spotrac, the Knicks have $4.9 million in first apron space and are $15.7 million under the second apron.

The contract maintains Brunson's salary at less than 23 percent of the cap throughout the duration of the contract, CapSheets' Yossi Gozlan noted.

The flexibility offered by Brunson staying with the team at under a quarter of the cap can allow the Knicks to work on building title contenders around their star guard.

The deal also allows the Knicks to lock in Brunson for the near future after signing OG Anunoby to five-year, $212.5 million deal and taking on Mikal Bridges with two years and $48.2 million remaining on his contract.

The four biggest hits on the Knicks' 2024-25 salary cap are currently Anunoby ($35.5 million), Julius Randle ($28.9 million), Brunson ($24.9 million) and Bridges ($23.3 million.) Those salaries will add up to 81.1 percent of the team's cap next season, per Spotrac.

Although next season all four of the Knicks' core players receive a raise, the amount of the cap allocated to the quartet climbs just slightly to 84 percent of the cap, thanks to the discount Brunson accepted on his contract.

As Gozlan noted, Brunson could potentially recoup the money he left on the table with this contract if he signs a maximum contract on his next extension, by which time the NBA salary cap is projected to be higher.

For now, the Knicks have seven of their top eight players locked in through at least the next two seasons with Anunoby, Brunson and Bridges as well as Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson, Donte DiVincenzo and Miles McBride.

The Brunson extension could potentially offer the team more room to maneuver with Julius Randle, who is currently under team control for one more season before his $30.9 million player option for 2025-26. Randle has previously said he "would love" to stay with the Knicks (h/t Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.)

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson reportedly took a major pay cut in his new contract extension.

Brunson signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension with the Knicks, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. That figure is $113 million less guaranteed than he would have been eligible to receive next offseason.

While the decision gives Brunson less money than he would have been eligible for—and likely deserved—it will put New York in a much better position financially to build a championship-caliber roster around him.

After Brunson's reported extension, Knicks fans praised the point guard for the team-first decision.

Brunson was already a value for the Knicks before his new deal, but taking a massive pay cut makes him arguably the best dollar-for-dollar player in the NBA.

The 27-year-old has risen to stardom since joining the Knicks ahead of the 2022-23 season. Last year, he put up 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from deep.

In the playoffs, he averaged 32.4 points and 7.5 assists per game and was a win away from leading New York to its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000. He had a miraculous four-game stretch where he put up 47, 40, 41 and 43 points against the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers, proving he can rise to the moment.

In his third year with New York this season, Brunson will look to get his team to the next level and compete for an NBA championship.

It's fair to say the Knicks are one of the most capable teams of dethroning the Boston Celtics in the East this year. New York traded for Brooklyn Nets swingman Mikal Bridges already this offseason and could make a few more moves before the start of the season.

Given the Knicks playoff run in 2024 came without star Julius Randle and a handful of other role players dealing with injuries, a fully healthy New York team could be scary in the playoffs.

Two years after signing with the New York Knicks and turning the team into a top contender in the Eastern Conference, star point guard Jalen Brunson has been rewarded for his efforts.

The Knicks and Brunson reached an agreement on a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension on Friday, agent Sam Rose told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Brunson had signed a four-year, $104 million contract with New York prior to the 2022-23 season and is widely regarded as one of the best free-agent additions of the modern era.

Brunson would have had the chance to sign a five-year, $269 million extension if he waited until next summer, but he made a very respectable move by signing a more team-friendly deal this offseason. The Athletic's Fred Katz reported on July 8 that Brunson was considering signing for less money in order to give the Knicks more cap space going forward.

The 27-year-old is coming off a star-making season in which he led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where the team fell to the Indiana Pacers in seven games. New York defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in six games in the first round despite being without star forward Julius Randle. Brunson suffered a fractured hand in Game 7 against the Pacers that required surgery.

Brunson shouldered a massive workload on offense, averaging 32.4 points in the postseason. He had a stretch of four straight 40-point games at one point, the first player to accomplish that feat in the playoffs since Michael Jordan. He also averaged 7.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds in the playoffs.

In the regular season, Brunson made 77 starts and averaged career highs of 28.7 points and 6.7 assists while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from three-point range. He earned his first career All-Star appearance and had many advocating for him to be included in the MVP conversation.

The immediate impact that Brunson made with the Knicks has helped New York once again become an attractive destination for star players.

The Knicks were expected to be aggressive this offseason in hopes of building a championship contender, and they made a major splash by acquiring Brunson's Villanova teammate Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets to add alongside fellow alums Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. The team also retained swingman OG Anunoby on a five-year, $212.5 million deal, creating a roster that can contend for a title next season.

Signing Brunson to an extension was the next step in what has already been a strong offseason for New York, and the floor general certainly will be motivated to prove that the team made the right decision to commit to him with a long-term deal.

Circle this date in the event the New York Knicks led by star Jalen Brunson and head coach Tom Thibodeau eventually unravel.

Brunson posted Thursday on X he accidentally dialed Thibodeau's number, leading the coach to hear whatever conversation the guard had going with his friends. As a result, the 2023-24 All-Star joked that "it's over."

Was Brunson secretly plotting with Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart to launch a coup and install former Villanova head coach Jay Wright as the new sideline leader in New York? Maybe he was building up the courage to tell Thibodeau he'd rather not play 40 minutes a night.

Who's to say for sure.

In all seriousness, the results speak for themselves when it comes to Brunson and Thibodeau's relationship.

The coach empowered the 27-year-old to be the Knicks' leader on the floor, and Brunson repaid that faith by performing at an MVP-type level in their second year together. In an interview with TNT Sports' Taylor Rooks, he also pushed back on the general idea that players don't like working under Thibodeau.

For now, all is well in the Big Apple.

Just to be on the safe side, Brunson may want to be more diligent in how he's handling his cellphone.

Mikal Bridges' basketball home is only moving a few miles from Brooklyn to Manhattan, but he says he's still getting used to his "surreal" cross-borough trade from the Nets to the Knicks.

"It's surreal. But it's dope to be a Knick. .. I thought I was gonna be (drafted) here in 2018, and I love everything about the team," Bridges told reporters Tuesday.

Despite his excitement to be a Knick, Bridges admitted to being a little "sad" about losing the relationships he built in Brooklyn.

The Knicks traded five future first-round picks, including four unprotected selections, a future pick swap, Bojan Bogdanović, Shake Milton and Mamadi Diakite for Bridges and Keita Bates-Diop.

The trade was not only one of the biggest in terms of picks offered in NBA history but also blew out the market for someone with Bridges' relative lack of resume. Bridges has never been an All-Star and only has one All-Defensive team selection on his resume. The picks haul the Knicks gave up is something closer to one typically offered for a future Hall of Famer, rather than an elite role player.

Bridges showed flashes of potential stardom during the 2022-23 season after his midseason trade to Brooklyn, but he struggled under the bright lights of being the 1A star last year. He averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while seeing his scoring efficiency drop to its lowest since his rookie season.

The Knicks already have a 1A star in Jalen Brunson and a 1B in Julius Randle, so Bridges will go back to a more comfortable role as a third star—and even then he might trade that role off with OG Anunoby. Bridges and Anunoby should give New York the best 1-2 punch of perimeter defenders in the NBA while also providing high-quality depth down the roster.

While the Knicks don't quite have the star power of the defending champion Boston Celtics, Bridges' arrival will allow them to compete at the top of the conference with Boston and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Brooklyn, meanwhile, will embark on a necessary rebuilding experiment.