Jalen Brunson Defends $100 Million Knicks Pay Cut After 52-Year Title Drought Ends
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 18
Jalen Brunson Defends $100 Million Knicks Pay Cut After 52-Year Title Drought Ends
1 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 18
Summary
$100 million in forgone salary never weighed heavily on Jalen Brunson, who said the 2024 Knicks pay cut gave him security and let him "play free."
At the WSJ Sports event, Brunson said he could have signed for about $156 million then or waited a year for roughly $100 million more, but chose certainty over risk.
That decision helped New York build a stronger roster around him, and Brunson then led the Knicks to the 2025-26 championship with a Game 5 win over San Antonio.
The title validated a move many questioned at the time, ending the Knicks' 52-year championship drought while leaving Brunson positioned for another major contract later.