Jalen Brunson reveals that taking the pay cut for the Knicks did not trouble him much

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Jalen Brunson took a big risk when he took a massive $100 pay cut for the New York Knicks in 2024. It was a surprise because people thought he was throwing away a lot of money just to stay with the Knicks and build the team properly.

That paid off for the Knicks because in the 2025-26 season, they managed to pull off one of the best postseason runs in NBA history, capping it off with a Game 5 win against the San Antonio Spurs to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Jalen Brunson is glad he took the pay cut with the Knicks

It was surprising when Brunson took the pay cut with the Knicks, considering he was a second-round pick. He outperformed that draft selection, but he still took a pay cut because he wanted to help the Knicks.

Thankfully for Brunson, he made sure that he was a good enough superstar to carry his team to the promised land when a lot of people doubted his decision. That was one of the smartest choices he made because it helped the Knicks construct a better roster around him.

MORE: Jalen Brunson is grateful the Knicks let him be himself

Yes, it was a hard decision for him because he was leaving a lot of money on the table. However, it was worth it because he became the superstar who led the Knicks to their first title in 52 years.

"Everyone looks at it as leaving money on the table. And to a certain degree, it is, the most I could sign for at the time was like $156 million. If I waited a year, it would’ve been about $100 million more," Brunson said during the Wall Street Journal's first-ever WSJ Sports event.

"But the average career in the NBA is about four years. Having that uncertainty of betting on yourself, you don’t really know... So just having that in my back pocket, knowing I’m good, my family’s good, I can just play free. I don’t have to worry about anything."

It was the right decision for him because he still ended up being a highly paid player while leading his team to the championship. He could get another big contract in the future, so his gamble paid off.