Well, the New York Knicks finally got their man. Free-agent guard Jalen Brunson has agreed to a four-year, $104 million deal with the team.
A move months in the making, the Knicks pursuit finally paid off after clearing tons of cap space, while accumulating draft picks along the way. It’ll be interesting to see how Brunson performs away from Mavericks star Luka Doncic, sliding in as the potential number one scoring option in New York. The 25-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 37.3% from deep.
The Knicks will hope that Brunson can become an All-Star player, something he has yet to do in his career. Brunson’s contract is the first time a non-All-Star player ever received a deal worth at least $100 million. Whether the Knicks are done this offseason remains to be seen. Armed with plenty of draft capital, the team is poised to make a run at a disgruntled star via trade, which could already change Brunson’s role on the team. Until that happens, it’s a move that will be celebrated by the team, knowing that their pursuit of a free agent finally paid off.