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Josh Hart Reacts to Knicks' Jalen Brunson Extension

Josh Hart is happy to see Jalen Brunson sign a long-term deal with the New York Knicks.

Jeremy Brener

Feb 26, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) celebrates with guard Josh Hart (3) during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) celebrates with guard Josh Hart (3) during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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The New York Knicks and the rest of the city are elated to see the team sign Jalen Brunson to a four-year deal worth $156.6 million.

The Knicks would be happy to have Brunson back regardless of the price, but his deal costs a little more than $100 million less than what he could have signed had he waited until he opted out of his 2025-26 player option.

It's one of the biggest sacrifices towards winning in NBA history, or even just work history, and nobody seems to be happier than his teammate Josh Hart.

Hart took to social media to share his reaction to Brunson staying in New York for four more years.

The Knicks showed signs of appeasing to Brunson and making him the focal point of the team when they signed him to a four-year, $104 million deal in the summer of 2022. He will play out that contract until the end of the 2025-26 season and then have this four-year, $156 million deal come into play.

The first move to build a team that catered to Brunson's desires came when the Knicks traded for Josh Hart in the middle of the 2022-23 campaign. Brunson and Hart were part of the 2016 NCAA champion Villanova Wildcats and now had a chance to play out their dreams together in the NBA.

But of course, it didn't stop there.

The Knicks doubled down on this Villanova connection by signing Donte DiVincenzo in free agency last summer and then trading for Mikal Bridges a few weeks ago. Now, the "Nova Knicks" are in full effect, which could be why Brunson is so willing to sacrifice a lot of money to get his teammates paid and potential future free agent targets in the door.

With Brunson making this huge sacrifice, it could inspire some of his teammates to do the same. It's hard to win in the NBA as-is, so any possible way of making things easier on a front office can help, and that's what Brunson has done by signing this extension now instead of later.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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