Hoops Nightly
Jalen Brunson
Knicks · G · 30
Jalen Brunson
vs
2025-26
23
Jazz · F-C · 29
Lauri Markkanen
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

Jalen Brunson vs Lauri Markkanen

8-9categories
Brunson · Markkanen
Jalen Brunson
Brunson
Knicks
2025-26
Markkanen
Jazz
23
74
Games
availability
42
35.0
Minutes
per game
34.3
26.0
Points
per game
26.7
3.3
Rebounds
per game
6.9
6.8
Assists
per game
2.1
0.9
Steals + blocks
per game
1.5
2.4
Turnovers
per game · lower is better
1.5
46.7%
Field goal %
47.7%
36.9%
Three-point %
7.1 vs 7.7 attempts
35.5%
84.1%
Free throw %
89.6%
58.0%
True shooting
TS%
60.8%
29.6%
Usage
USG%
26.9%
30.7%
Assist %
of teammates' baskets
10.1%
4.7%
Rebound %
of available
9.4%
+6.1
Net rating
on court
-1.5
13.5%
PIE
player impact estimate
13.9%
+4.8
Plus-minus
per game
-1.3
Bars show each player's share of the pair's total; the better number is in the club's color (turnovers: fewer is better).

Where the gap is

from the numbers above

Lauri Markkanen scored more in 2025-26, 0.7 points a game apart (26.7 vs 26.0), on Brunson's heavier usage (29.6% vs 26.9%).

Markkanen is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 60.8% to 58.0%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to Brunson (6.8 vs 2.1 assists), the glass to Markkanen (6.9 vs 3.3 rebounds).

Availability is part of the comparison: Brunson played 32 more games (74 vs 42 of 82).

With Brunson on the floor his team outscored opponents by +6.1 per 100 possessions, against -1.5 for Markkanen; on-court net rating carries the teammates with it, so read it next to PIE.

On the books for 2026-27: Brunson $37.7M through 2028-29, Markkanen $46.1M through 2028-29. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs
Brunson
2025-26
Markkanen
50-24
Record when playing
17-25
27.4
Points at home
28.1
24.7
Points on the road
25.6
26.4
Points in wins
29.5
25.3
Points in losses
24.8
47
Season high
51
26
30-point games
13
12
Double-doubles
5

Last games & contracts

test a trade in the Trade Machine →
Brunson · last 5
Tue, Oct 20 vs PHI21 pts · 5 reb · 3 ast
Thu, Oct 15 vs TOR20 pts · 3 reb · 7 ast
Mon, Oct 12 vs MIN20 pts · 5 reb · 3 ast
Thu, Oct 8 vs WAS13 pts · 0 reb · 3 ast
Mon, Oct 5 at PHI12 pts · 4 reb · 3 ast
Markkanen · last 5
Wed, Oct 21 at MEM18 pts · 9 reb · 3 ast
Fri, Oct 16 at PHX19 pts · 5 reb · 1 ast
Mon, Oct 12 vs SAS11 pts · 1 reb · 2 ast
Tue, Oct 6 vs DEN0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Sun, Oct 4 at DEN17 pts · 2 reb · 0 ast
Brunson · contract
2026-27$37.7M
2027-28$40.5M
2028-29player option$43.3M
Markkanen · contract
2026-27$46.1M
2027-28$49.8M
2028-29$53.5M

More comparisons

pick any two players →
Brunson vs
Devin Booker · Stephen Curry · Jamal Murray · Donovan Mitchell
Markkanen vs
Kevin Durant · Giannis Antetokounmpo · Kawhi Leonard · Victor Wembanyama
Brunson vs the top 40 scorers of 2025-26
Luka Doncic · Shai Gilgeous-Alexander · Anthony Edwards · Jaylen Brown · Tyrese Maxey · Kawhi Leonard · Donovan Mitchell · Nikola Jokic · Lauri Markkanen · Stephen Curry · Devin Booker · Kevin Durant · Jamal Murray · Victor Wembanyama · Michael Porter Jr. · Deni Avdija · Pascal Siakam · Cade Cunningham · Keyonte George · James Harden · Austin Reaves · Jalen Johnson · Paolo Banchero · Norman Powell · Brandon Ingram · Trey Murphy III · Julius Randle · Cooper Flagg · Zion Williamson · LeBron James · Nickeil Alexander-Walker · Shaedon Sharpe · Alperen Sengun · Brandon Miller · Dillon Brooks · LaMelo Ball · Bam Adebayo · Karl-Anthony Towns · Desmond Bane
Markkanen vs the top 40 scorers of 2025-26
Luka Doncic · Shai Gilgeous-Alexander · Anthony Edwards · Jaylen Brown · Tyrese Maxey · Kawhi Leonard · Donovan Mitchell · Nikola Jokic · Stephen Curry · Devin Booker · Jalen Brunson · Kevin Durant · Jamal Murray · Victor Wembanyama · Michael Porter Jr. · Deni Avdija · Pascal Siakam · Cade Cunningham · Keyonte George · James Harden · Austin Reaves · Jalen Johnson · Paolo Banchero · Norman Powell · Brandon Ingram · Trey Murphy III · Julius Randle · Cooper Flagg · Zion Williamson · LeBron James · Nickeil Alexander-Walker · Shaedon Sharpe · Alperen Sengun · Brandon Miller · Dillon Brooks · LaMelo Ball · Bam Adebayo · Karl-Anthony Towns · Desmond Bane

Per-game numbers and percentages are 2025-26 regular season from stats.nba.com; splits and last games from our own game logs; contract figures are cap hits from public salary data and can lag a signing by a day. Bold marks the better number in each row (turnovers: fewer is better).