New York Knicks: Jalen Brunson on Brink of $156,000,000 Decision After Heartbreaking Series Loss Vs. Pacers

At the moment, Brunson’s current deal with New York runs out in 2026. He also has a player option for the 2025-26 season, which means that he could actually walk away as an unrestricted free agent next summer.

This is obviously the last thing the Knicks want, which is why they are reportedly willing to go as high as $156 million to retain the services of the All-Star point guard. This report comes via Steve Popper of Newsday (h/t Evan Sidery on X, formerly Twitter):

As the report indicates, this will come out to around $181 million for five years if and when Brunson is able to restructure his deal. That’s roughly $36.2 million per season for the 27-year-old, which if you think about it, is still quite a bargain for New York.

Waiting another year to sign the extension would mean that Brunson would be able to use free agency as a significant leverage. It appears that the 6-foot-2 guard is willing to forgo that advantage, though, as he looks to exhibit his loyalty to the Knicks by putting pen to paper now.