Jalen Brunson’s extension is another indicator of the culture Leon Rose has built in New York

Friday was an incredible day for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson agreed to a four-year, $156.5 million extension. Through no fault of his own, it was the most he could be offered this offseason. Yet, the pathway for Brunson was there to wait a year and sign a max contract like every single player of his caliber.

And yet, he didn’t.

Look at some of the contracts signed recently. Paul George squeezed every dollar out of the 76ers, signing a max contract of $212 million despite $305 million in career earnings. Multiple top draft picks in 2021 signed extremely lucrative extensions that could net them as much as $270 million (Franz Wagner, Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham). Jayson Tatum just signed the largest contract in NBA history at $314 million. Even the Knicks aren’t immune, with the front office being held over a barrel by OG Anunoby for a $212 million deal while losing Isaiah Hartenstein to a deal worth $29 million a year.

Pay cuts exist. LeBron James signed for a tiny bit under the max to keep the Lakers under the second apron. LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh all took minor pay cuts to team up in Miami in 2010. Even James Harden took a pay cut two years ago to help the 76ers.

But this was unprecedented. Jalen Brunson is a former second-round pick who doesn’t have nearly as much in the bank as the superstars blessed with much greater athletic ability I previously mentioned. He didn’t owe the Knicks anything, he vastly outplayed the contract he was given. He didn’t have to do this. And yet, he did.

All of this points back to the Knicks’ head honcho. The Knicks have been mired in selfishness, ego, and controversy for the better part of two decades. When Leon Rose took over in 2020, it was like a switch clicked. What’s the biggest internal controversy the Knicks have had since he took over? Julius Randle’s “thumbs down” antics? The rumored Obi Toppin feud with Tom Thibodeau? Although Rose was brought in for his connections with the ego-filled high-profile athletes who wore the CAA banner, his operation is anything but that.

A Culture of Selflessness, Off the Court

Julius Randle was in a similar situation to Jalen Brunson in 2021. Two years after signing a maligned contract at the time, he was in line for a massive payday. Randle had signed a three-year, $62.4 million contract while Steve Mills and Scott Perry ran the show. As his coach got fired and the Knicks spiraled to another lost season in 2019-20, the writing was on the wall for Randle to be dealt at the 2021 Trade Deadline after the Knicks picked his assumed heir apparent in Obi Toppin.

Randle would respond by backpacking the city of New York to their first playoff berth in eight years, averaging 25/10/5 and receiving MVP votes and an All-NBA 2nd Team nod. Sound familiar?

Randle was eligible to sign an extension north of $200 million if he played out his accepted team option in 2021-22 and hit the market after. Instead, his representatives at CAA agreed to a four-year extension with their former boss that only paid Randle a maximum of $117 million (Randle will take home slightly less because of unlikely bonuses).

That decision was a big reason why Jalen Brunson was able to be signed with cap space in 2022. It’s a big reason why the Knicks are where they are today. With Randle eligible for an extension this offseason, it’s fair to wonder if he will be cashing in like Brunson could in 2028, or if he will double down. I wouldn’t blame him for finally grabbing the $200 million next offseason.

A Culture of Selflessness, On The Court

Leon Rose’s first move as general manager has transformed the Knicks on the court. By hiring experienced head coach Tom Thibodeau, it was clear immediately that he had plans to right the ship. Thibs is not a likable coach. Half of the league said they would do anything to not play for him. An issue the Knicks faced during the first few years was a lack of awareness from Leon Rose on who could play for Thibs. In 2020-21, the team was filled with certified “dawgs” that play the way Thibs loves, including Reggie Bullock, Derrick Rose, and Taj Gibson. The misstep came when Rose signed Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier to bolster the offense to support their elite defense. Neither Fournier nor Walker was a fit for Thibodeau, and their tenures soured quickly.

It hit as big of a head as you can get when Rose traded a first-round pick for Cam Reddish. Reddish’s tendencies to take possessions off defensively enraged Thibodeau at times, leading to his permanent benching in December 2022, along with Fournier and Rose. What Thibs got was a sparkplug that saved his job, mostly via an increase in playing time for gritty defensive guards Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes.

Finally, the vision between F.O. and the coach reached full cooperation. Non-Thibs players got shipped out (Fournier, Reddish, Toppin) and more junkyard dogs came in (Donte DiVincenzo, Deuce McBride*, Josh Hart). As much as almost half the league hates Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks found 15 guys who would put everything on the floor for him. The Knicks don’t have egos anymore. They’ve had egos and off-court drama for way too long, from Isiah Thomas to Carmelo Anthony to Phil Jackson. Everybody on the team plays for each other. If this was NBA 2K, the Knicks would have a 110% team chemistry.

The Culture Has Set The Knicks Up For Success

Look at how the Knicks are constructed right now. Their superstar just took a massive pay cut intending to help the team build around him. What do you think that does for Mikal Bridges and Julius Randle? Evan Sidery has already reported that Bridges is likely to take less than he could, although we don’t know if that means below the max he can extend for (varies by year) or taking it a year early for a lower AAV. Could Julius Randle be convinced to take a Knicks offer this offseason if it comes? That might depend on if the Knicks offer him the $181 million extension next month.

It can trickle down. Donte DiVincenzo still has three years left, but what could his next contract look like? What about starting center Mitchell Robinson, who can also extend this offseason? Hell, it’s trickled all the way down to rookie Pacôme Dadiet taking the absolute minimum he could sign for to save the team $900,000.

Jalen Brunson taking this pay cut wasn’t an out-of-nowhere act of kindness. His father is on the coaching staff. Three of his best friends are on the team. He’s known his coach since he was a toddler. The man who signed him back in 2022 is his godfather. Leon Rose has built a roster full of selfless players who love to play for each other and who put aside their egos for the betterment of the team, with the ultimate goal of a championship. He has turned the Knicks from a place where star talent avoid like it’s the plague, to a place where a top-five MVP finisher is taking pay cuts on contract extensions.

It’s beautiful, in a way.