No one can ever say Jalen Brunson doesn't care for his teammates.
Brunson on Friday agreed to an incredibly team-friendly contract extension — a four-year, $156 million deal. The extension is $113 million less than the max contract he could have received if he waited until next summer to re-sign with the Knicks as a free agent.
But Brunson didn't just want to lock in money — he wanted to give the Knicks as much financial flexibility as possible to compete for a championship. Brunson's discount extension will help the Knicks (to a degree) stay below the second apron, thus giving them more money to add players in free agency and add players via trades.
Yet before Brunson went to sign his extension, he did the most Jalen Brunson thing possible, according to The Athletic's Fred Katz — he hung out with his teammate Josh Hart.
Brunson even delayed signing his contract because he was busy hanging out with Hart, Katz reported.
It's a perfect prelude to signing a team-friendly deal. Brunson and Hart, two college teammates and close friends, have helped usher in a new era for the Knicks with their heart, toughness, and dedication to winning. They form the "Nova Knicks" alongside Donte DiVincenzo and Mikal Bridges.
Hart and Brunson even publicly discussed needing to see each other during the week.
The guys just trying to get dinner together tonight pic.twitter.com/w4dujO8Xjr
— Roommates Show (@Roommates__Show) July 11, 2024
Hart reacted to Brunson's extension accordingly.
Build him a statue 🥲
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) July 12, 2024
