Jalen Brunson turned some heads around the league when he decided to sign a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension, essentially eschewing the opportunity to sign a five-year, $269 maximum contract with the New York Knicks had he decided to wait a year, opt out of his contract, and re-sign. This is an unequivocal win for the Knicks.

While the amount of money Brunson gave up figures to be closer to $37 million rather than the $113 million number that's being thrown around social media, as broken down by Keith Smart of Spotrac, the Knicks will take any discount that they can especially given how restrictive the new CBA rules are for teams that go deep into the luxury tax and the new second tax apron. With Brunson setting the culture for the team, it looks as though his teammates will be following his lead — most notably Mikal Bridges, the Knicks' most recent blockbuster acquisition.

Bridges, per NBA insider Marc Stein, is expected by league sources to “follow Brunson's lead and sign a team-friendly deal of his own”. There is no rush for Bridges, however, to put pen to paper. After all, he still has two years left on his contract, although it has to be said that two years fly by very quickly in the association.

It's incredible just how well-run the Knicks are these days; after over two decades of mismanagement, they are now attracting quality players to play for the franchise, and for a discounted price as well. Jalen Brunson has done nothing but turn the Knicks' fortunes around; his presence and the eventual additions of his Villanova brothers Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, and now Mikal Bridges seem poised to take the Knicks further than they've been in the 21st century.

What's Mikal Bridges' next contract going to be worth?

Mikal Bridges is eligible to sign a new contract as soon as October 1, but it will only be for two years and around $72 million. The Knicks may not want Bridges to sign that deal anyway, as they would want to lock him down on a longer-term contract, especially considering how much they gave up to acquire his services.

But after the 2024-25 season, Bridges will be eligible to sign a four-year deal like his pal Jalen Brunson did. Perhaps Bridges will sign a contract extension worth around $120-130 million, which should take him until the 2029-30 season for an average annual value of around $30-33 million — a solid price for one of the best two-way players in the association.

Given the huge contract that OG Anunoby just signed with the Knicks (five years, $212.5 million), New York will be taking savings whichever way they can. They may have to dip into the second tax apron in the future, but at the very least, getting their Villanova-bred players to sign discounted contracts would give them additional financial flexibility in an NBA economical landscape that places a premium at such.

Bridges is only going to be entering his age-27 season (in fact, tomorrow, July 17, is his birthday), so he should have plenty of productive years left for the Knicks. His basketball life will be easier with New York in more ways than one — not only is he not needed to shoulder the offense anymore, he is also sharing a locker room with some of his best buddies.

He averaged 19.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists last season; expect those numbers to go down, but his efficiency should soar back to his Phoenix Suns levels as he's slated to play with more talented teammates in a lesser role.