NBA Insider Predicts Jalen Brunson's Next Knicks Contract After Taking Discount Ahead of Title Run

ESPN's Vincent Goodwill feels New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is done taking below-max contracts now that he's led his team to a championship.

Goodwill spoke about Brunson's next contract around the 38:00 mark of his Tuesday appearance on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective.

"Jalen Brunson is going to come get all of his money... Every dollar of that $280 or $300 [million] that he's supposed to get, and then some, he's going to get all of that," Goodwill said.

Brunson last signed a four-year, $156.5 million deal with the Knicks in July 2024.

He would have received another $113 million in guaranteed money had he waited until summer 2025 and inked a five-year deal with the team.

That ultimately resulted in Brunson leaving about $37 million on the table, per Spotrac.

The increased financial flexibility helped the Knicks construct a championship roster while also setting up Brunson to cash in on the rising salary cap with a new deal sooner rather than later.

Brunson is now signed through 2027-28 with a player option for the 2028-29 campaign, per Spotrac.

He will be eligible for a four-year, $257 million deal should he sign in 2027 and a five-year, $417 million contract if he waits until 2028, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

Which path Brunson decides to choose could ultimately impact how much of this championship core the Knicks are able to keep together in the long run. The franchise already parted ways with Mitchell Robinson after he left to sign a three-year, $47.4 million deal with the Boston Celtics.