Knicks ink Brunson
Considering how far Jalen Brunson has gone in the last two years, it’s fair to contend that leaving the Mavericks was the right move for him. Not that it was his plan from the beginning; in fact, he was willing to sign a five-year extension for a bargain $55 million early in the 2021-22 season. He sought to secure his future after having given a good accounting of himself as a starting point guard while franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic was out with an injury. After front office honchos thought it best to wait until the end of the campaign before making a decision, however, he opted to move on.
Needless to say, the Knicks have benefited immensely from the turn of events. There is reason to argue that the Mavericks did extremely well in the aftermath, going so far as to reach the National Basketball Association Finals, but that’s another matter altogether. As far as Brunson is concerned, he’s where he belongs. Which, in a nutshell, was why he agreed to take an unprecedented pay cut in his latest contract, ensuring his place at the top of the hierarchy in the Garden over the next three years.
To be clear, Brunson gave what was tantamount to a friendly neighborhood discount under unique terms sealed by deep personal associations. First, Knicks president Leon Rose just so happens to be the father of Sam Rose, his agent on record. Second, assistant coach Rick Brunson just so happens to be his father. Third, he and teammates Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo have ties that go back at back to college. And, for good measure, the blue and orange went about trading for Mikal Bridges, yet another Villanova alumnus.
Evidently, Brunson values relationships first and foremost. His sentiments were what spurred him to offer the Mavericks a sweet deal nearly three years ago, and what now has him committing to the Knicks for the foreseeable future. And, in turn, the latter have tried to install a workplace designed to keep him comfortable and motivate him to continually exceed himself. He’s certainly keen on one-upping his remarkable run in the immediate past season, during which he emerged as a bona fide Most Valuable Player candidate and came to within a game of a Conference Finals appearance.
Brunson’s impact as a Knick cannot be overstated. He hasn’t won any hardware yet, but he’s already on pundits’ lists of the franchise’s all-time greats. And he’s determined to live up to expectations. On tap is his overarching need to redeem himself after fatigue reduced him to mediocrity in the do-or-die affair against the Pacers two months ago. Meanwhile, it’s not as if his bank account lacks zeros; he’s still slated to earn a whopping $156.5 million between 2025 and 2029.
Will the Knicks succeed in claiming their first title since 1973? The path won’t be easy. The East may be the lesser conference, but it’s stacked all the same; heck, it’s where the champion Celtics are. At the very least, however, they know Brunson will leave nothing in the tank as he leads their cause.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.