The New York Knicks just signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year/$156 million deal a few days ago. And in an unprecedented turn of events, Brunson decided to leave a whopping $113 million on the table, giving the Knicks some wiggle room in the future. While the City of New York showered its star with love, Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce is in utter disbelief.
On a recent episode of Undisputed, Paul Pierce reacted honestly to Jalen Brunson leaving over $100 million on the table while negotiating a new contract with the team.
“You left $113M on the table?! That doesn’t even sound right. What? Hey listen, I get it. You wanna win a championship but that don’t guarantee you a championship…He should’ve just did what LeBron did, take a pay cut. You know LeBron took a pay cut, right?”
.@PaulPierce34 is flabbergasted by Jalen Brunson taking team-friendly $157M deal with Knicks:
"You left $113M on the table?! That doesn't even sound right." 😂 pic.twitter.com/5V6Q9o40Kz
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) July 15, 2024
As per the reports, Jalen Brunson took a hefty pay cut to give the New York Knicks enough cap space to sign another big name in the coming years. Brunson’s main goal behind leaving $113 million on the table is to win a championship.
However, Paul Pierce did not seem to be on board with his supposed plan. Scoffing and mocking Jalen Brunson’s decision throughout the two-minute segment, Pierce wasn’t convinced that JB’s pay cut would guarantee a title.
But it’s never a segment of Undisputed unless there are random shots at LeBron James, and this time, it was Pierce who took them. Claiming Brunson’s team-friendly deal was a mistake, he went on to mock LeBron James’ willingness to take a pay cut to allow the Lakers to sign a free agent to two.
LBJ recently signed a $101 million contract for two years, giving Los Angeles about $3 million in cap space. James’ supposed pay cut became a mockery among analysts across the country, as they claimed that news of the pay cut was only revealed to improve LeBron’s image in the eyes of the public.
While Paul Pierce could not fathom a player leaving that much money on the table, Keyshawn Johnson decided to give it an alternative take. The NFL legend felt Brunson was aiming for a supermax contract in the future.
So, not only will this move by Brunson help the team add more firepower, but it’ll also help the Knicks stay under the luxury tax. And when the time comes, JB would go on to sign a supermax with the team.
Charles Barkley praises Jalen Brunson’s bold decision
Jalen Brunson’s decision to leave over $100 million in contract negotiations has gotten somewhat mixed reviews so far. While Paul Pierce openly mocked the New York Knicks star, almost the entire NBA fanbase acknowledged the magnitude of this move by Brunson, showering him with love and respect.
Brunson inking a team-friendly deal even managed to grab the attention of Philadelphia 76ers legend, Charles Barkley. Usually on top of what is going on in the league, Barkley praised the Villanova product and his decision to help out his team.
“It’s awesome. First of all, he’s a great kid and a hell of a player. What he’s did for the Knicks, I think has shocked everybody. I knew he was a good player, but he’s been great since he got to New York.”
It is almost impossible to recall the last time a player displayed such generosity towards his team in the league. But with Brunson taking the first step, it may be possible for other big-name stars to follow suit in the hopes of chasing a title rather than chasing the bag.
