Karl-Anthony Towns makes $49.2M at Knicks: How much does Jalen Brunson earn?

Jalen Brunson has been the driving force behind the New York Knicks’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals this year. The guard won the NBA Clutch Player of the Year award and has lived up to that title throughout the postseason, solidifying his place among the league’s elite. Karl-Anthony Towns has also been a key contributor for the Knicks, but there’s a massive difference in their salaries.

Towns is in the first season of a four-year, $220,441,984 contract with the New York franchise, after joining from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the summer of 2024. Over the course of this season, the center has earned an impressive $49,205,800.

That salary places KAT sixth on the list of the NBA’s highest-paid players. He shares the spot with Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown and is topped only by Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

The salary gap between Towns and the rest of the Knicks roster is substantial. To find the next highest-paid player on the team, you have to scroll down to No. 31 on the list—where OG Anunoby appears with a salary of $36,637,932.

Towns is Knicks’ highest paid player

How much does Jalen Brunson make with the Knicks?

The third-highest-paid player on the New York Knicks is Jalen Brunson. In July 2024, the guard and the organization agreed to a four-year, $156 million contract extension, which set his salary for this season at $24,960,001. While that’s a sizable figure, it doesn’t quite reflect the full impact Brunson has had on the court.

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In fact, the nearly $25 million Jalen earned this season ranks just 66th on the NBA salary chart—far behind many stars who have delivered significantly less than the guard throughout the year.

Brunson led the Knicks in the regular season with 26.0 points per game, placing him 10th in the league. He also averaged 2.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists, ranking 11th in the latter category. In line with his Clutch Player of the Year award, Jalen continues to elevate his game when it matters most: in the playoffs, he’s averaging 29.9 points—leading all remaining players in that category.

The Knicks among the NBA’s most expensive teams

Despite having only one player among the NBA’s top 30 earners, the New York Knicks have one of the league’s highest payrolls. According to HoopsHype, they currently rank fourth with a total team salary of $193,588,886. Only the Phoenix Suns ($220,708,856), Minnesota Timberwolves ($204,780,898), and Boston Celtics ($195,598,491) are ahead of them.