Three offseason Knicks takeaways: Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and business
Knicks' Jalen Brunson reacts after winning Game 6 of the first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers on May 2, 2024. Credit: AP/Matt Slocum
The Knicks spent the summer raising expectations for the coming season by answering nearly every question left in the wake of the 50-win season that ended in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight year.
1. The leader leads
Jalen Brunson followed up an All-NBA season by winning hearts and minds in New York as he opted for a four-year, $156 million contract extension, potentially leaving $113 million on the table in an unprecedented move to allow the team to keep building around him.
While there was little doubt that the franchise was tied to Brunson long-term, the decision showed his commitment to making the Knicks a championship contender. And the Knicks rewarded that not only with the contract extension but also by naming him team captain — a status he already had established even before the team made it official.
The amazing rise from second-round pick to star and leader has been rewarded, but if any player seems unsatisfied with the money and praise, it’s Brunson, who has shrugged off the adulation and insisted that he — and the Knicks — can and will get better.
2. The missing piece
When the Knicks swung a trade with the Nets for the first time in more than 40 years, they did it not to acquire the superstar they had long chased but the solid fit who keeps in place what the franchise has built. Mikal Bridges has not been an All-Star or an All-NBA player, but he’s an elite defensive player and a skilled complementary offensive tool, slotting into the starting lineup.
Bridges’ arrival gives the Knicks multiple versatile defensive weapons and a player who can handle the ball or play off of it offensively while allowing Donte DiVincenzo to move to the second unit and improve the depth.
Bridges also gives Brunson another running mate from his Villanova national championship days.
3. Business decisions
It wasn’t just Brunson whom the franchise took care of with a long-term contract extension this summer. The Knicks secured Tom Thibodeau’s future as coach, adding a three-year deal on to the final year of his current deal, a well-deserved reward for guiding the franchise through the turnaround with three playoff appearances in four seasons.
But just as notably, the franchise has yet to extend Julius Randle, leaving his future uncertain. Randle has been a key contributor in the Knicks’ turnaround, sometimes overlooked in the reunion of Villanova standouts and struggling through injuries or absence in the postseason, but he is an important part of the turnaround as well as the aspirations for the team. Having his status looming over championship hopes could be a distraction.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
