Jalen Brunson Signs Massive Four Year Deal With New York Knicks

Right when free agency opened on Thursday, Jalen Brunson signed a massive four-year contract with the New York Knicks worth roughly $110 million. After much anticipation about whether he would land back in Dallas to continue his tenure with the Mavericks or strike a deal with New York or Miami, Brunson has chosen to continue his NBA career playing for the Knicks. Hopefully, Brunson can help the Knicks solve their apparent lead guard issues that have plagued them for decades. Despite all of the talent that has come through New York, it has been several decades since it had a point guard that made an All-Star team. The Knicks will need Brunson to be the answer if they want to obtain any sort of relevancy in what is a loaded Eastern Conference for the foreseeable future.

Free agent Jalen Brunson intends to sign a four-year, near $110M deal with the New York Knicks in free agency, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The Mavericks never received chance to make offer, sources said.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

New York Knicks Have Future Point Guard With Jalen Brunson

New York has been plagued when it comes to having success with its lead guard. The last time the New York Knicks had a point guard who made an All-Star appearance was during the 1988-89 NBA season when Mark Jackson made the team. If this comes as a shock to you, don’t feel bad. The Knicks have struggled for years with their backcourt; this is not a new situation for them. Brunson is 25 years old, so he has plenty of gas left in the tank. Mostly, he has avoided major injuries and things that can accelerate the age odometer, which is also a massive plus for him and New York. The Knicks have tried numerous times to try and grab point guards at the tail end of their career or need a career rejuvenation to be their “guy,” but it has not happened. Derrick Rose, Jason Kidd, Jose Calderon, Raymond Felton, Mike Bibby, and Baron Davis are guys who have played for the Knicks over the past decade but were well outside their primes.

New York Knicks 2022-23 Outlook

Despite bringing in Jalen Brunson on a massive deal, the outlook for the New York Knicks remains pretty average. New York could fight for a playoff spot, but it will be challenging in such a loaded Eastern Conference. In a best-case scenario, Brunson pushes the needle enough to get the Knicks into the playoffs as a No. 7 or 8 seed. The worst-case scenario would result in the Knicks again missing the playoffs and being just mediocre enough to not land a top draft pick. There are many talented teams in the Eastern Conference that could finish around or ahead of New York, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Brooklyn Nets. If I were a Knicks fan, I would hope they make a few more significant moves in the next year or two to propel them to relevancy. It has been a while since New York has had a considerable buzz, and signing Brunson does not wholly bring that buzz back yet. Fans may rejoice by securing Brunson, but that does not take away from their disdain for how the Knicks organization operated over the past several years.