The playoffs are a stage for stars to prove themselves, and in the face of higher intensity games, as long as they can play well, then they can go after a big contract. There are many players in the league who broke out in a playoff game and have since earned big contracts, such as Mozgov and Biyombo. There are also a number of stars in this year's playoffs who have played extraordinary performances, and Brunson is one of them. And he is now facing a difficult choice question, 170 million in 4 years and 270 million in 5 years, how to choose the playoff scoring champion?
Let's take a look at Brunson's current contract, the former Brunson played for the Mavericks, as a short quarterback, he played a good individual performance at the time, but the Mavericks were not optimistic about him, so they did not give him a big contract. Since then, the Knicks have extended an olive branch to him, offering him a four-year, $104 million contract. He has two years left on his contract, a salary of $24.96 million, and a player option for next year.
Let's take a look at Brunson's individual performance this year, in the regular season, Brunson played well. He has played a total of 78 games, averaging 35 minutes per game, and can average 28.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game, including 48.1% shooting from the field and 40.3% from three-point range. Not only that, but he led the Knicks to the second place in the East, performed very well, and was easily selected for the All-Star stage.
After entering the playoffs, the Knicks can be said to be full of injuries, but Brunson still carries the team on his shoulders. The team played to the second round of tie-breaking, and finally lost to the Pacers. In 13 playoff games, Brunson played an average of 40 minutes per game, averaging 32.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game, shooting 44.4% from the field and 31% from three-point range. Although his efficiency has declined, he has digested a lot of the ball and never relented in key moments, averaging 32.4 points per game, and he is also the leading scorer in the playoffs.
For Brunson, if he renews his contract early this year, he could get a four-year, $157 million contract. If he renews his contract after playing next year, he is eligible to sign a five-year, $270 million super-max contract. This is an extremely difficult choice to make, and if you sign a contract a year late, the total contract amount can be 100 million dollars more. Judging by Brunson's performance this year, it makes sense to pursue a super-cap salary.
However, Brunson left the game with a fracture this year, and with the addition of playing under Thibodeau, the injury risk is relatively high. So in the editor's opinion, Brunson signed a big contract of 157 million for 4 years first, and it is better for the money to be safe. After all, the lessons of people like Cousins, Oladipo, Thomas Jr. and others abound in the NBA.