According to NBA rules on contract extension, new Knicks forward Mikal Bridges, despite now being two stops away from the team that originally signed him to his four-year, $91 million contract extension in October 2021 (that was the Suns), is eligible to sign a new extension with the Knicks this offseason, though it would have to be squeezed into a relatively small window.
Bridges would have to sign a new contract in October, before the start of the NBA regular season. But he is eligible for a deal that could run as long as three additional years—plus the two for which he is already signed, 2024-25 and 2025-26, for five years altogether.
At most, Bridges would be eligible to sign for a contract that begins at 140% of the final year of his deal. Because the last year of his current deal is for $24.9 million, he extension would go for just under $35 million in Year 1, and worth $113 million altogether.
But, Bridges would not likely command that much in an extension. Besides which, according to veteran reporter Marc Stein, Bridges could very well give the Knicks the same kind of hometown discount contract that Jalen Brunson just signed with New York.
Knicks Got a Break on Jalen Brunson Contract
Brunson, of course, signed a $157 million extension over four years last week, sparking league-wide conversation about the fact that he did not wait a year and sign a new $270 million contract, for which he would have been eligible.
Brunson’s motivations, in part, were to help the team with flexibility in the short term (his deal will be worth $11 million less in 2025-26 than if he had waited), though the additional financial security for a 6-foot-2 former second-round pick is nothing to sneeze at.
Bridges is not likely to be deemed worthy of a his max extension, but even within that context, Stein reports Bridges could be willing to take less than he’s worth for the betterment of the Knicks.
Wrote Stein: “League sources say that the expectation now, furthermore, is that Bridges is likely to follow Brunson’s lead and sign a team-friendly deal of his own when it’s his turn to negotiate an extension (he’s eligible for a shorter and less attractive deal as soon as Oct. 1 or a four-year extension if he waits until after the season) that cements himself at MSG alongside his fellow former Villanova teammates Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.”
Mikal Bridges Would Be Another High-Value Villanova Teammate
Indeed, the Villanova connection is paying off for the Knicks not only on the floor but on the payroll sheet. Brunson is being paid well, no doubt, but his willingness to take a financial haircut will help the Knicks significantly as the team moves forward under tough new luxury tax rules.
Now, Bridges (another Villanova teammate) could follow suit.
Already, fellow Wildcat guard Donte DiVincenzo is on a contract that has to go down as a significant bargain, a midlevel deal that runs four years for $47 million. DiVincenzo averaged 15.5 points and shot better than 40% from the 3-point line last year, a feat achieved by only 17 players.
Other than Jalen Williams, who is still on his rookie contract, DiVincenzo was by far the lowest-paid of the 17, making $10.9 million, more than $6 million behind D’Angelo Russell, the next-lowest paid player of the group.
And while the other Villanova teammate is no bargain—Josh Hart is on a four-year, $80 million contract—he is worth the money, considering his value to the team.
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Knicks New $90 Million Star Could Take Brunson-Like Contract ‘Discount’: Report appeared first on Heavy.com.