Watch: Jalen Brunson trolls Knicks teammate Josh Hart after he signed $81,000,000 contract
On Wednesday, news broke that New York Knicks wing Josh Hart agreed to a four-year, $81 million contract extension with the Knicks. The deal will keep Hart under contract in New York until the end of the 2027-28 NBA season.
The 28-year-old wing is set to make $94 million over the remainder of his contract. This includes Hart’s $13 million player option that he previously opted into for next season. Upon the news of Hart’s extension, it didn’t take long for his star teammate and longtime friend, Jalen Brunson, to have some fun at his expense.
Brunson first jokingly tweeted that Hart should pay for their dinner on Wednesday night. This comes as the two are on the road together with Team USA as they gear up for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023:
“Pick up that tab tonight nephew @joshhart,” Brunson tweeted.
Pick up that tab tonight nephew @joshhart
Later that evening, Brunson trolled his teammate by recording a video of Hart eating dinner. The star point guard then joked once again about Hart securing the bag:
“Bag man. Major bag man,” Brunson said as he laughed.
Hart, who was caught off guard by the video, then tried to keep a straight face before cracking a smile.
Watch the humorous moment below:
Jalen Brunson snipes out Josh Hart at dinner 😂
Team USA is in Malaga, Spain for an FIBA exhibition showdown against Slovenia (Luka Doncic) and Spain this weekend pic.twitter.com/l5octX9TtN
Josh Hart enjoyed his first season in New York
Josh Hart only played in 25 games for the Knicks last season after being acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers at the February trade deadline. However, he instantly became a fan favorite in New York due to his hustle and knack for making winning plays. He also played a key role for the Knicks during their run to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
After opting into his $13 million player option for next season, Hart touched on the possibility of signing a contract extension with the Knicks. He said that he hoped to stay in New York long-term as the city felt like home to him:
“Hopefully — that’s a place where I want to be and a place I want to call home. So we’ll see,” Hart said.
“I felt like it was home when I got there … So now I’m just excited to be in the Garden for a full 41-plus, hopefully. And just having that New York vibe, that New York energy behind us.”
Luckily for Hart and for Knicks fans, it looks like he will now be in New York for the foreseeable future.
Josh Hart averaged 10.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 3-pointers per game on 58.6% shooting over 25 games with the Knicks last season.