Report: Jalen Brunson could provide 'certainty' to the Knicks this summer

Jalen Brunson joined the New York Knicks in 2022. He signed a four-year, $104M deal, with the final year being a player option. 

Since moving to the Big Apple, Brunson has established himself as one of the best point guards in the NBA. He was instrumental in New York's recent run to the Eastern Conference semifinal. 

Brunson will be entering the third year of his current contract next season. According to Steve Popper of Newsday, the All-Star guard could sign a team-friendly extension during the offseason, thus giving the Knicks five years of "certainty" at the guard position. 

"Brunson turned out to be a bargain free-agent signing two years ago at $107 million for four years," Popper reported. "All indications are he won’t hold the team up now, and that he's willing to sign a four-year, $156 million contract extension. That would remove his fourth season from the current deal and provide five more years of certainty in New York, rather than waiting until next summer for a five-year, $270 million extension."

Since joining Tom Thibodeau's team, Brunson has played in 146 regular season games. He's averaged 26.5 points, 6.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds on 51.7% shooting from the field and 40.7% shooting from three-point range. 

Brunson has proven himself to be one of the elite scorers in the Eastern Conference. He has given the Knicks a go-to option on offense. 

After taking another step forward in the team's overall development, the Knicks will undoubtedly look to add another star alongside Brunson. If the front office can secure Brunson's long-term future, New York will be an enticing landing spot for disgruntled stars and free agents alike. 

New York is a basketball hot spot again, and Brunson has played a huge role in making that happen. Now, the Knicks need to keep pushing forward, which means being assertive in their moves and roster construction.