Jalen Brunson contract could make it easier for Sacramento Kings to keep their core together

As you have surely heard by now, Jalen Brunson has opted to take a massive pay cut on his most recent extension with the New York Knicks, leaving about 113 million dollars on the table by signing the deal now instead of waiting until next season.

Brunson did this – not because he hates money – but rather in order to give his team financial flexibility to enhance their odds of competing for a title. And his selflessness has proven to be infectious, as his new teammate, Mikal Bridges, now also seems primed to take less money on his next extension (according to Marc Stein).

What Does This Mean For The Sacramento Kings

Brunson and Bridges' team-first mentality is honorable, but what does that have to do with our Sacramento Kings?

As many of you know, the NBA is a copycat league. And maybe now that Brunson and Bridges are choosing to leave money on the table, more star players will do the same to help their teams keep their cores together and still have the ability to build around them in this wild world of the second apron.

For the Kings, the front office has talked about how hard it would be for them to take on three massive contracts while also extending Keegan Murray under the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Well, if the Kings' key players adopt the same mentality as the Knicks' stars, they would have a much easier time building a juggernaut.

To a degree, some of the Kings' players have already done this. Many people believed that Malik Monk left a lot of money on the table with his extension (four years, 78 million dollars), and DeMar DeRozan's contract may be one of the best ones inked this offseason (three years, 74 million dollars).

Now, it is just up to De'Aaron Fox (two years left on his current deal) and Domantas Sabonis (four years left) to observe similar altruism when it comes time to negotiate their next contracts (or, in Sabonis' case, if he decides to restructure his current deal). It would also be massive if Murray didn't request the rookie maximum extension when his time for a new deal rolls around.

If that happens, the Kings have a chance of maintaining their current core (and adding to it) for a long time, and we'll have Brunson's pioneering to thank for it.