The New York Knicks were defeated by the Indiana Pacers 130-109 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday. It was a difficult way for the Knicks' season to end. Jalen Brunson did everything he could to help the team win before suffering an injury during Game 7.
Brunson and the Knicks have a bright future. Although, Brunson only has one more guaranteed year on his contract. He has a player option for 2025-26. If he opts in for that year, Brunson will hit free agency ahead of the 2026-27 season.
However, Brunson is eligible for a contract extension this offseason.
Jalen Brunson contract extension?
Knicks fans will be interested to see if Brunson signs an extension. Brunson, though, had no interest in discussing the matter following the team's Game 7 defeat.
“I'll talk about that another time,” Brunson said, via Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Brunson had just suffered a fractured hand in addition to a playoff loss. He was surely frustrated at the moment, so the idea of discussing a potential contract extension with the media did not appeal to him at the time.
Overall, it did seem like Brunson enjoyed playing in New York this past season. Of course, that is only speculation and only Brunson knows how he truly feels.
The Knicks unquestionably found success during the 2023-24 campaign, though. They finished as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Jalen Brunson led the way as Julius Randle battled an injury during the second-half of the season. Brunson even emerged as an MVP candidate.
He had previously been regarded as one of the better players in the NBA, but Jalen Brunson took a step forward this year.
Brunson's playoff performance
Brunson was impressive during the 2024 NBA playoffs. Through 13 games, he averaged 32.4 points and 7.5 assists per game. He also made plenty of clutch baskets.
New York dealt with injury trouble this past season. Yet, Brunson was clearly determined to help them make a postseason run nonetheless. The Knicks fell one game short of an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, but the team fought hard to say the least.
Brunson emerged as not only a superstar, but a fan-favorite in New York as well. The 27-year-old, who finished fifth in NBA MVP voting in 2023-24, consistently gave the Knicks opportunities to win. Winning over the fans in New York is never an easy task but Brunson found a way to do it.
There are no guarantees as to whether or not Brunson will sign a contract extension. One has to imagine that he will at least consider the idea after such an all-around quality season with the Knicks. Sure, it did not end the way he wanted, but there were no shortage of positive moments during the 2023-24 campaign.
For now, Brunson and the Knicks will focus on moving on from their heartbreaking playoff loss against the Pacers. It will take time to move on and New York will likely use the defeat as motivation in 2024-25.
We will continue to monitor and provide updates on Jalen Brunson and the Knicks as they are made available.
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