Knicks Rival Praises Jalen Brunson Extension

Udonis Haslem may not be a fan of the New York Knicks but he lauded Jalen Brunson's new contract.

Jan 19, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Former Miami Heat player Udonis Haslem sits on the court for his jersey retirement ceremony during halftime of the game between the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports / Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

As one of the longest-tenured members of the Miami Heat (second to only Dwyane Wade), Udonis Haslem is perhaps legally barred from saying anything nice about the New York Knicks.

But the three-time champion tried anyway, as he's one of the latest faces in the NBA sphere to comment on Jalen Brunson's highly-publicized discounted contract extension, getting his words in on his web series "The OGs."

While his co-host and fellow Miami champion Mike Miller wasn't so keen on Brunson's sacrifice (an attitude no doubt brought about by his newfound career as an agent), Haslem reasoned that, even things go awry, Brunson has set himself up in a no-lose situation.

"He's going to be fine," Haslem praised, countering Miller's claim that Brunson now has a tradable contract. "There's some (stuff) that you ain't going to pull. He's got the city behind him, he's got (Knicks superfan) Spike (Lee) behind him ... his daddy (Rick) on the coaching staff, (president) Leon Rose coaching him ... they know that it's not guaranteed that they're going to win."

By taking a contract extension this offseason rather than the next, Brunson kept $113 million in the Knicks' pockets, which only adds to his metropolitan legend. Brunson has fully flipped Manhattan's hardwood fortunes since coming over as a free agent from Dallas in 2022 and the Knicks now stand as one of the most intriguing teams in basketball entering the 2024-25 campaign.

Apr 2, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) dribbles the basketball as Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) defends during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Haslem, responding to a query from guest and NBA insider Shams Charania, even went as far as to say that Brunson's statued likeness will one day stand outside of Madison Square Garden if/when he leads the Knicks to a championship. He also guaranteed that Brunson would "never wear another uniform, reasoning that the deal has made him a "Knick for life."

While Haslem would perhaps be the last person the Knicks would ask about Brunson negotiations, he theorized about the behind-the-scene discussions, hypothesizing that the Knicks would arrange for the point guard to take on some form of team ownership once he was ready to step away. He compared the arrangement to one that MLB's San Francisco Giants appeared to have for longtime catcher Buster Posey, who joined the ownership group after his 2021 step away.

"You're going to be a Knick for the rest of your career and then, when it's time, we're going to take care of you," Haslem said, putting dialogue in the mouths of the Knicks' front office. "He's going to be taken care of forever ... Madison Square Garden will be an open door for him for the rest of his life. When you see him in retirement, he won't be sitting courtside like a retired player. He'll be sitting in the owner's box."

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