Jalen Brunson says contract sacrifice was ‘100% worth it’

Fresh off leading the New York Knicks to the 2026 NBA championship, Jalen Brunson made it clear he has no second thoughts about the financial sacrifices he made to help the franchise build a title contender.

During an interview with Malika Andrews, Brunson reflected on his decision to leave significant money on the table when signing his contract extension with New York.

When asked whether passing on an estimated $113 million was worth it, the Finals MVP offered an immediate response.

“100% worth it. 100% worth it,” Brunson said.

“Even if we didn’t achieve this, I feel like being able to do that and grind and go on a journey to try and achieve it, it would have been worth it as well, but this is definitely the turn on top.”

Brunson’s team-friendly deal helped give the Knicks additional flexibility to maintain a talented roster around him.

The organization has been able to keep key contributors such as Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns together while also preserving flexibility for future roster moves.

That financial advantage could continue to play an important role this summer as New York attempts to retain both Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet.

Although Brunson plans to enjoy the championship celebration, he indicated his focus will quickly shift toward the challenge of defending the title.

Asked when he would begin thinking about winning another championship, Brunson suggested the turnaround would be brief.

“After the parade. Yeah, I think I’ve done a decent job of being able to not look ahead, not look past anything, staying in the moment,” Brunson said.

“I’m going to try and enjoy this for a little bit and then once it’s time to get back to work, it’s back to work.”