While last month’s Luka Doncic trade has since overshadowed it, the Mavericks‘ mishandling of Jalen Brunson‘s contract situation back in 2022 still looms large over the franchise, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes ahead of the Mavs’ visit to New York on Tuesday.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN also revisits the Brunson contract saga in Dallas, sharing an excerpt from his new book ‘The Wonder Boy’ about how the Mavericks’ unwillingness to offer the guard a four-year, $55.6MM contract when they were first eligible to do so cost them a chance to retain the budding star at a bargain price through 2026. According to MacMahon, while that $55.6MM extension was the maximum deal Brunson could have received entering the 2021/22 season, he would’ve been open to accepting even a little less than that, perhaps $50MM over four years.
However, the Mavericks reportedly didn’t offer Brunson an extension before the season and then didn’t put his max extension on the table until February 2022, at which point he had outplayed it. When the guard reached unrestricted free agency later that year, Dallas had the ability to tack on a fifth year to its offer or simply to outbid the Knicks‘ four-year, $104MM proposal, but did neither, allowing him to leave for New York.
“I tell you this, this is a conversation we had,” Brunson’s father Rick Brunson told MacMahon. “If Dallas offers the same money or more, I don’t know if he leaves. Come with the money. Make it hard! You didn’t. You made it easy.”
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- Tuesday’s game in New York or Thursday’s contest in Orlando have emerged as the target dates for Anthony Davis‘ return from his adductor strain, reports NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). Stein said over the weekend that there’s increasing optimism about the possibility of Davis, who has been out since February 8, playing during this road trip. He’s listed as doubtful for Monday’s matchup with the Nets in Brooklyn.
- Daniel Gafford, who is recovering from a right knee sprain, spoke to MavsTV about his experience practicing with the Texas Legends in the G League on Friday, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays (via Twitter). “Practice was good — getting a lot of range of motion in the knee, getting my body right, and getting my cardio back,” Gafford said. “I’ve got to get the lungs going again, get the leg conditioning back, just working through everything. But everything went well (on Friday). It was just another step in the process and the progress, trying to get back on the floor with the guys. Good vibes, great atmosphere, great attitude — just trying to get better and feel better too.”
- Mavericks point guard Spencer Dinwiddie said the team is just hoping to stay afloat until its injured players – especially Davis – start to return, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “I think it’s just trying to keep the pulse, the heartbeat going, waiting on obviously the big dogs to get back,” Dinwiddie said. “That’s all we’re trying to do right now. … It’s a hold-down-the-fort mentality. Stay in striking distance. You get a top-75 guy back. Who knows what can happen?”
- Christian Clark of The Athletic takes a look at the impact that assistant coach God Shammgod has had in Dallas, including on Kyrie Irving. “I feel like he’s just one of my uncles just from Harlem, New York, that’s there to give me a little s–t when I need it, but be honest all the time,” Irving said of Shammgod.
“My uncles from New York” but I thought he was Australian?
Not a fan of going back to look at a transaction. After years of clarity. What is the true reason for this. It’s self serving and selfish. At the time no one cared about Jalen. Except his dad and Thibs. And that’s cause both knew him all his life. No other team even talked to Brunson as a FA. And Mavs knew all along he was talking to NY. They were just cheap and only had eyes for OneWay Wonder.
If you haven’t seen this yet ???? Kyrie being Kyrie again. I guess with Luka gone. He’s found his voice.
link to nypost.com
Mavs to me have a HUGE decision to make. Imo Kyrie is taking his PO next yr. Not walking away from 44 mill. When he could sit out the WHOLE year. With AD at 32 yrs old and signed for three more yrs. What are their options??
Right now it looks like Mavs are going for a better draft pick. Which is the right move. Kyrie if he wants to come back for playoffs. Do you wait for him. Or do you move him at TD next yr. If you can ??
Mavs best scenario is hitting on all their picks. And can get an injured player exception. And sign a decent PG in FA if they can. After all the flak they took for trade. They better not mess this up.
No one else cared, and that’s fine. But caring about valuable players is exactly the job of a front office. So the mavericks front office didn’t do its job. Seems to be a trend.
Didn’t care enough. You’re right. Should of signed and trade. At least get something.
Ahhh back in the days when 2 of my favourite players…both point guards…played for the same team… somehow doncic and brunson kind of made this work for a while… when not a great fit…was sad to see brunson go…and then sad to see doncic go…in saying that, the Knicks and Lakers are fun to watch now
Brunson didn’t give DAL a chance to match or exceed the NYK offer after the season, because DAL, 3 times previously, indicated to him that they didn’t need that right with respect to him, as he wasn’t important enough.
The Brunson-DAL relationship was compromised the day that DAL exercised his 4th year team option at minimum wage vs making him a contract offer at a real number starting in the 4th year (they essentially told him he was not a core player for them, and thus they were willing to let him become a UFA). That also suggested that the 55 mm offer before the season was never happening. As it turned out, no offer was made before the season. Even the 55 mm offer made mid-year, was more teased than made. DAL also became the first team in quite some time to state prior to the start of free agency that they were not willing to discuss a S&T. Not anything a player wants to hear.