In leaving for New York, Jalen Brunson is smart enough to know it’s a mistake he must make
As much money as Mark Cuban is willing to spend on players, there is always a place he won’t go.
Jalen Brunson found it.
The most exciting time in the NBA season is here. Even though free agency technically doesn’t start until July 1, it started a few months ago.
The Dallas Mavericks’ second-best player is pulling a Jason Kidd and a Tyson Chandler.
The New York Knicks are prepared to go “stupid money” for Brunson, who graduated from Villanova and is smart enough to know what he’s getting into. He is smart enough to deal with everything that comes with playing in New York.
He’s smart enough to know this is a mistake he must make.
According to ... well, everyone, the Mavericks are prepared to let Brunson walk for zero in return. The Knicks are clearing salary cap space to make Jalen Brunson their Luka Doncic.
The Knicks have reportedly offered Brunson a four-year contract worth $110 million, which he intends to sign.
The Mavs could give Brunson a five-year, $175.45 million contract, and exceed the salary cap via the “Bird Rights” with a $30.25 million first-year salary.
According to NBA reporter Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Mavs never had a chance to match.
As of June 30 at 6:22 p.m. CT, according to NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, the Mavs did offer Brunson a “five-year, $106M-plus deal.”
Brunson went ahead and signed the deal, thus re-confirming that tampering is a year round sport in the NBA.
Cuban prefers to keep Brunson, whom the Mavs selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft and steadily developed. Also, Cuban is not going Larry Bird for Jalen Brunson.
Cuban will press the “Dumb Money” button for certain guys. That list includes Dirk Nowitzki, Luka Doncic, Raef LaFrentz and Kristaps Porzingis.
Cuban does not want to do what the Golden State Warriors do, which is to spend well beyond the NBA’s punitive luxury tax threshold.
As such, there is no way to spin this is as anything other than a loss for the Dallas Mavericks.
This is not an example of a player the Mavs will later celebrate they ultimately did not sign, like a Deron Williams.
Jalen Brunson is worth keeping.
He’s also not worth what the Knicks will give him.
As the late Chuck Daly once said, “It’s not about you’re worth, it’s about what you can get.”
Good advice for all of us.
Had the Mavericks tried to reach an agreement with Brunson earlier in the season, much like they did with Dorian Finney-Smith in March, they would not be here.
There was a deal to be made, and it didn’t happen.
Now, it’s too late.
Brunson was exceptional in the Mavericks’ playoff run to the Western Conference Finals, and he will do what he should and cash in.
The Knicks are an average NBA team with one of the worst owners in pro sports, but if the figures aren’t close, Brunson has to go.
The justified fear is that Brunson walks and morphs into Steve Nash.
This fear is both preposterous and well founded.
Brunson is only 25, and he’s shown no indication he has hit a ceiling.
Cuban famously let Nash walk after the 2004 season, and he became one of the best players in NBA history. Cuban has repeatedly owned that he blew that one.
Also, Nash would not have developed into the player he became if he had run next to Dirk Nowitzki.
They had to split to develop into the generational players they became.
Brunson, 25, can be better than he is today. There is no way he can do that running next to Luka Doncic.
The risk the Mavs are taking by letting Brunson go is that they are losing the perfect personality and player to run behind Doncic.
Brunson was born and raised to play on a team, a point lost on every franchise that passed on him in the 2018 NBA Draft.
The Mavs’ addition of short big-man Christian Wood will not offset Brunson leaving for New York. They have to find someone who can do what he does — which is everything — well.
The draft night addition of NBA G-League “star” Jaden Hardy is not an answer this season. He’s a kid.
Jalen Brunson is a man and an adult.
Barring an unexpected turn of events, Brunson is gone to New York.
It’s a big win for Brunson, and, however you cut this, it’s a big loss for the Mavericks.
This story was originally published June 29, 2022 at 4:37 PM.
