Jalen Brunson felt he was deserving of Olympic spot with Team USA last summer

Brunson is careful to point out that his deal is, technically, only a relative discount. “Everyone sees like, ‘Oh, taking 113 less,’ ” he reminded me. “Well, to be blunt, I took the most I could do this year.” Still, his decision makes it far more likely that the Knicks will be able to keep adding and retaining talent around him—like Bridges, who is due an extension of his own soon. “Obviously, it helps the team out, and I want this team to stay together for as long as we can, and try and do something special here,” he said. -via GQ.com / October 10, 2024