The basketball world commended New York Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson for taking a massive pay cut on his new four-year, $156 million contract to the exception of a former NBA great.
As New York Basketball shared on X, During the New Orleans Pelicans’ most recent Summer League game, color commentator and former Orlando Magic sharpshooter Dennis Scott issued a lengthy criticism to Brunson for making a selfless move that hurt his own pockets and could do the same for other marquee players in line for new deals (h/t Geoff Magliocchetti of New York Knicks on SI):
“I love the fact you want to win and you’re living up to it. I think it’s great,” Scott said. ““But now, Brandon Ingram is in the same situation. I want to win. But are you willing to take less to win? Or do you want all that’s deserving to you because of the situation and timing?”
Knicks: Dennis Scott wants players to take advantage of salary-friendly NBA today
“3D,” didn’t get to play in an NBA where players could take home gargantuan contracts, even among the game’s best at that time. Scott’s contemporary Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest basketball player ever, was still making $3.85 million in 1995-96, the year his Chicago Bulls went 72-10 and won their fourth championship.
That could be a major reason why he now champions for players to get their money and also put themselves in a position to win on the court, a dual scenario that is attainable when done shrewdly, and as he alluded to, with good timing. The timing for Brunson was as good as ever this summer. The Villanova product came off averaging 28.7 points per game and leading the Knicks to their first 50-win season since 2012-13 and a second-round appearance in the 2024 NBA playoffs.
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Knicks: The implications of Jalen Brunson’s eight-figure annual pay cut
Brunson finishing in the top-five in the MVP race could’ve easily seen him demand $200 million over four years, which would still be on the more conservative side commensurate with his play on the previous campaign. The 27-year-old franchise player took a pay cut to help position the Knicks to make another impact move that could take them over the top in the Eastern Conference en route to a title in 2024-25.
Albeit, the same way Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry crossing the $40 and $50-million marks in annual salary over the last few years has allowed a slew of less accomplished All-Stars to be in line for north of $50 million in future seasons is the same way that Brunson’s $39 million annual figure could influence players like New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram’s next deal depending on what he prioritizes more.
Ultimately, Brunson is still taking home an unfathomable amount of money in the grand scheme of things. He will also be competing for a championship next season. Those two variables will likely keep him happy in New York, which is what the franchise wants, and what his resigning suggests for himself. By the time his deal runs its course, the New Jersey native will be 31 years old and still within an age range to take home a super-max contract, which at that time could pay him over $65 million a year with the way the league’s trajectory has been going for the last decade.
