Even before Jalen Brunson turned heads with 45 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, his leadership was already in full effect. In July 2024, the New York Knicks guard agreed to a four-year, $156.5 million extension instead of waiting for a projected five-year deal worth around $269 million in 2025. Now, while that created a favorable championship outlook for the Knicks and Brunson himself, it is reportedly bringing in a barrage of financial roadblocks for other superstars.

“One of the things that’s gonna happen with the Knicks winning the championship: how does that reset the league or reset the market? What’s gonna happen is I’ve talked to a couple of different players that could be Supermax this year or next year,” Jay Williams said on Get Up. “They’re starting to feel a little pressure from team owners by saying, ‘Yo, Jalen Brunson left $113 million on the table. What are you going to do?'”

Fueled by a massive 11-year, $76 billion national TV rights agreement, the NBA salary cap increases by a smoothed maximum of 10% each season, leading supermax deals to shatter previous records. But with Brunson’s pay cut and the subsequent title win for the franchise after 53 years, supermax-eligible stars like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jalen Duren might have to leave some money on the table.

Notably, Jokic remains with the Denver Nuggets on the 5-year supermax he signed back in 2022, with his contract consuming a staggering 35% of the team’s entire cap space. Similar issues emerge with Giannis’ contract, who is officially eligible to sign a 4-year, $275 million supermax contract extension.

Marquee suitors like the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics are intensely pursuing him, but absorbing his current $58.4 million salary creates a financial crisis. For instance, if Boston pairs Giannis with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they will field three max-level players on the same roster. With the Celtics not trading away Tatum, Brown’s future is under constant threat.

Plus, the league rules state that if any team does pull off an offseason trade for the two-time MVP, they must wait exactly six months before legally offering him the supermax extension. This mandatory waiting period exposes the acquiring franchise to immense risk, as they would be surrendering massive assets without a guaranteed long-term contract locked into place.

Jalen Brunson on leaving money on the table

Two years after leaving roughly $113 million on the table to help New York maintain roster flexibility, Brunson was asked whether the sacrifice had been worth it.

“100% worth it. 100% worth it,” Brunson firmly stated. “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 would have been worth it as well. This is definitely the cherry on top.”

This sentiment was similar to his statement from February, where he said he didn’t want to worry too much about finances.

“One hundred percent, I sacrificed for the team,” the player further said. “But most importantly, I made sure my family and I are taken care of.”

In hindsight, the sacrifice was surely worth it.