The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers are set to kick off the Eastern Conference Finals, with the winner moving on to the NBA Finals.
It should be a fascinating series between two teams hungry for a Finals trip and both teams having young stars leading the way.
For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson is the leading scorer. During the regular season, he averaged 26 points per game with 7.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds with a 48 percent field goal percentage.
Brunson has worked wonders since signing in free agency ahead of the 2022-23 season, and he is a focal point of the offense day in and day out.
However, Brunson's salary is much lower than many expect.
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A look inside Jalen Brunson's surprisingly low salary
After spending two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Brunson signed a four-year deal with the Knicks worth $104 million. Then, in the summer of 2024, Brunson signed a four-year extension worth $156 million.
So, there is a long list of players who are making more per year than Brunson. According to Spotrac, he is earning just under $25 million before his new extension kicks in.
When you examine the league as a whole, there are 63 players who made more than Brunson during the 2024-25 season.
Here is the list, in order:
- Stephen Curry
- Joel Embiid
- Nikola Jokic
- Bradley Beal
- Kevin Durant
- Devin Booker
- Jaylen Brown
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Kawhi Leonard
- Paul George
- Jimmy Butler
- Damian Lillard
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- LeBron James
- Rudy Gobert
- Anthony Davis
- Luka Doncic
- Trae Young
- Zach LaVine
- Fred VanVleet
- Anthony Edwards
- Lauri Markkanen
- Pascal Siakam
- Tyrese Haliburton
- Kyrie Irving
- Domantas Sabonis
- Darius Garland
- Ja Morant
- Zion Williamson
- OG Anunoby
- Brandon Ingram
- Jamal Murray
- Michael Porter Jr.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- LaMelo Ball
- Tyrese Maxey
- Bam Adebayo
- De'Aaron Fox
- Donovan Mitchell
- Jayson Tatum
- Desmond Bane
- Deandre Ayton
- James Harden
- CJ McCollum
- Immanuel Quickley
- Khris Middleton
- Isaiah Hartenstein
- Jrue Holiday
- Jerami Grant
- Jordan Poole
- Devin Vassell
- Kristaps Porzingis
- Tyler Herro
- Julius Randle
- Nic Claxton
- Miles Bridges
- John Collins
- Andrew Wiggins
- Anfernee Simons
- RJ Barrett
- Tobias Harris
- Jaren Jackson Jr.
- Jonathan Isaac
It's not surprising to see superstars such as Curry, LeBron and others ahead of Brunson, but there are some shocking names, including Isaiah Hartenstein and Jonathan Isaac.
Still, Brunson took less money in an effort to allow the Knicks to send more, and that they did with teammates O.G. Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns both making more than Brunson this season.
The good news for Brunson is the Knicks are in the ECF, and Brunson's salary in 2025-26 will be just under $40 million with the new extension set to begin.
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