The New York Knicks were the league’s laughingstock last offseason after they signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal in free agency. Why would the Knicks commit that kind of money to an undersized guard with one good playoff run? It didn’t take long for Brunson to answer that question once the 2022-23 season began.
With each game New York played, Brunson’s contract started to look more like a bargain. The narrative shifted from him being overpaid to being underpaid. The Knicks got their money’s worth and then some in Brunson’s first season in NYC that ended with the team’s first appearance in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 10 years.