Knicks G Jalen Brunson would have been eligible for a five-year, $269M deal at the end of the 2024-25 season, but opted to sign a four-year, $156.5M contract extension on Friday, leaving $113M on the table to re-sign immediately, providing future salary cap flexibility while the team attempts to “compete for a title in the coming years,” according to Kristian Winfield of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. His new extension pays $34.9M in Year 1, $37.7Min Year 2 and $40.5M in Year 3. The extension comes on the heels of a career year for Brunson. The decision to take less money now shows Brunson’s “willingness to sacrifice to contend for a championship” in N.Y. (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/13).

ADMIRING OTHERS: ESPN.com’s Adrian Wojnarowski wrote Brunson’s “study of championship organizations and franchise stars” — Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs, the Tom Brady Patriots and the Derek Jeter Yankees — gave him a “blueprint for MVP-level players who structured contracts to give their teams the best chances at sustainable title runs” (ESPN.com, 7/12). In N.Y., Bradley Locker noted with an average annual salary of $39.1M, Brunson would rank 32nd in the league (N.Y. POST, 7/12).

STATUS CHANGE: In N.Y., Mike Vaccaro wrote Brunson was “already good in this town,” but now “we are talking about a different level.” Vaccaro: “Some guys say they’ll do whatever it takes to win. Some guys actually do those things. In this case, 113 million of those things” (N.Y. POST, 7/12). THE ATHLETIC’s Fred Katz wrote “no one else in league history has recommitted himself to a franchise in this fashion” like Brunson. No player has ever “left this much money on the table — especially not one in the early part of his prime.” Katz: “Brunson is opting for the cheaper contract today instead of hitting free agency a year from now when he would be eligible for a max contract worth a projected $269.1 million over five years.” Now, Brunson has just “enacted the greatest financial favor in NBA history… and it’s not even close” (THE ATHLETIC, 7/13).

UNPRECEDENTED MOVE: On Long Island, Steve Popper wrote this deal provides security to Brunson and gives the Knicks a “reasonable deal — far below what he could have gotten if he had waited until next summer.” Leaving that much money on the table is “unprecedented” (NEWSDAY, 7/13). ESPN.com’s Wojnarowski wrote this move comes in a “largely unprecedented financial concession to give roster flexibility to a contending franchise” (ESPN.com, 7/12).

FAN FAVORITE: The WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Robert O’Connell wrote under the header, “The NBA Player Who Gave Up $100 Million.” Brunson is the “city’s basketball ethos brought to life” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/13). CBSSPORTS.com’s Brad Botkin wrote under the header, “Jalen Brunson is on the fast track to becoming the most beloved player in Knicks history.” N.Y. “loves him for this — even more than it already did.” Eventually, “probably more than it has ever loved any Knicks player” (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/13). NEWSDAY’s Popper in a separate piece wrote Knicks President Leon Rose is a “fan favorite right now, especially after guiding the franchise to three playoff berths in his four seasons atop the organization” (NEWSDAY, 7/14).

LOOKING AHEAD: In Chicago, Rick Morrissey wrote the deal is set up so Brunson “can recoup” that $113M in his next contract. So it is “not as if he’s giving the Knicks a gift.” The bigger point here is that Brunson “did something he didn’t have to do.” Morrissey added the Knicks “have a chance to do something big in the next few years, and he knows it” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/14).