The point guard took as much money as the Knicks could offer him. Over in the Western Conference, Nikola Jokić is taking the opposite path with the Denver Nuggets. It just further highlights how unique stars like Brunson and Wembanyama are, for reasons on and off the basketball court. NBA stars that want to secure every bit of their worth that the CBA allows are not villains. NBA stars that are willing to sacrifice off-court earnings in search of on-court legacy, though, are showing they deserve the extra praise.