The New York Knicks finally climbed the mountain in 2026, ending a 53-year championship drought. But barely three months after celebrating their first NBA title since 1973, the franchise is already facing the uncomfortable question every contender eventually has to answer: how much of this championship team can actually be kept together?
At the center of that conversation is Jalen Brunson.
According to recent reporting, Brunson is projected to receive a staggering four-year, $290 million extension when his next contract begins in 2028-29. That would represent a massive financial reward for the Knicks captain, who famously sacrificed roughly $113 million when he signed his previous extension in 2024.
And honestly, it is difficult to argue that Brunson hasn’t earned it.
Brunson’s Sacrifice Is Coming Back Around
When Brunson agreed to his four-year, $156.5 million extension in 2024, he left an enormous amount of money on the table.
Had he waited, he could have been eligible for a significantly larger contract. Instead, Brunson prioritized the Knicks’ ability to build a championship roster around him. That decision eventually helped New York assemble the group that delivered the franchise’s long-awaited title.
Now the situation has completely changed.
Brunson is no longer simply the Knicks’ star point guard. He is the reigning NBA champion and Finals MVP, the face of the franchise and arguably the biggest basketball personality in New York.
So when his next major payday arrives, expecting him to make another enormous sacrifice would be unrealistic.
The projected $290 million figure reflects that reality. Brunson’s new contract could begin in 2028-29, with his salary potentially jumping dramatically from the roughly $40.5 million he is projected to earn in 2027-28.
The Problem Is Everything Around Brunson
This is where things get complicated for the Knicks.
Brunson getting paid is not really the problem. The problem is that New York has built a championship roster featuring several players who deserve substantial money.
Karl-Anthony Towns is the biggest immediate concern.
Towns is eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $276 million, but negotiations have reportedly stalled. He is willing to take a pay cut, similar to the concession Brunson previously made, but believes the reduction currently being requested by the Knicks is unreasonable.
That is a significant development.
Towns just helped the Knicks win their first championship in more than five decades. He also proved during the playoff run that he could adapt his game and sacrifice touches without becoming irrelevant to the team’s success.
New York needs him.
But the Knicks also need to maintain financial flexibility.
Josh Hart Is Waiting Too
Then there is Josh Hart, perhaps one of the easiest players for Knicks fans to appreciate.
Hart does the dirty work. He rebounds, defends, pushes the ball, creates extra possessions and brings an intensity that doesn’t always show up neatly in a box score.
He is also eligible for a potentially lucrative four-year extension worth up to $132 million, although there is currently no agreement. Hart has indicated that he does not expect a deal before opening night.
That creates another difficult decision.
Hart’s current contract includes one more guaranteed season followed by a $22.4 million team option for 2027-28. In other words, the Knicks have some control over the situation, but keeping him long term could still become expensive.
And after watching Hart contribute to a championship, letting him walk would be a painful decision.
Deuce McBride And Tyler Kolek Add More Pressure
The situation doesn’t stop with Towns and Hart.
Miles “Deuce” McBride is entering the final season of his contract, and reports indicate that the Knicks are not currently close to giving him an extension. There has even been reporting that New York could consider using his contract in a trade to strengthen the bench.
That would be a fascinating move because McBride provides exactly the type of affordable depth championship teams desperately need.
Tyler Kolek is also entering the final guaranteed year of his deal and is viewed as the lowest priority among the group of extension-eligible players.
Suddenly, one championship roster has four players facing very different levels of contract uncertainty.
James Dolan’s Financial Line Makes Everything Harder
The bigger issue is owner James Dolan’s approach to the NBA’s second apron.
Dolan has publicly expressed strong opposition to crossing that financial threshold, calling it “suicidal” because of the penalties involved. That philosophy already influenced the decision to allow Mitchell Robinson to leave for Boston this offseason.
That tells you something important about the Knicks’ future.
This isn’t simply about whether Dolan is willing to spend money. It is about whether New York believes the cost of keeping every important player together is worth the long-term consequences.
And with Brunson’s projected $290 million deal eventually arriving, those calculations become even more serious.
Brunson Should Not Be Asked To Sacrifice Again
If I’m looking at this from Brunson’s perspective, there is really only one reasonable conclusion.
He already sacrificed once.
He gave New York financial flexibility when the Knicks desperately needed it, and that flexibility helped produce the championship he was chasing. Now that he has delivered the ultimate prize and won Finals MVP, the franchise should be prepared to reward him.
That doesn’t mean every other player automatically gets whatever contract they want.
It means Brunson’s situation should be treated differently.
The Knicks can negotiate hard with Towns. They can make difficult decisions regarding Hart and McBride. They can search for cheaper depth.
But asking Brunson to once again take dramatically less money would be a terrible look.
The Championship Window Is Entering A New Phase
The most fascinating part of this entire situation is that the Knicks have already achieved what they spent years trying to accomplish.
Now comes the harder part: staying on top.
New York returns with Brunson, Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges among its core pieces, but the financial pressure is impossible to ignore. The team’s championship chemistry is valuable, yet every new extension makes it harder to preserve that chemistry indefinitely.
The projected Brunson payday is not a problem by itself. In fact, it should be viewed as a reward for the player who helped change the Knicks’ entire trajectory.
The real challenge is deciding which sacrifices have to be made around him.
For Knicks fans, that may be the uncomfortable reality of becoming a champion: winning the title was the dream, but keeping the championship roster together could be the next great battle.
And after everything Brunson has done for New York, the one thing that should not be in doubt is his future.
The Knicks built their championship around him. Now, they have to build the next chapter around the price of keeping their franchise player.