Brunson of course is an every growing commodity that really worked his way up all the way through the season. After enduring some bad luck and communication breakdowns with the Dallas Mavericks, he later chose to sign with the New York Knicks. The Mavericks were able to take advantage of Texas’s absence of a state income tax. That freed up the Mavs to trade for and potentially match the Knicks’ offer for Brunson’s annual salary. Yet they failed to provide an attractive alternative at the key time. Consequently, Brunson decided to sign with the Knicks on a full value four-year, $104 million contract.
The Mavericks’ lack of foresight displayed itself the moment they failed to extend an offer to Brunson when they had the opportunity. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban later insisted that Brunson never indicated in January that he would sign an extension, contradicting the claims made by Brunson and his father, Rick Brunson, afterward. Through it all, Jalen Brunson kept his eyes set on what really mattered — connecting with his teammates and appreciating the things they accomplished together.
Other Dallas teammates like Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell, and especially DFS were much closer friends with Brunson. Second, they made themselves part of the conversations that were happening all around him. Early one morning, Jalen Brunson noticed Cuban’s remarks on social media. He started raising his eyebrows in astonishment as the case became more complex. Then Jaguars coach Rick Brunson reflected on what Cuban said. He continued, these were not just rhetorical flourishes; raised the issues at the core – which was much deeper.
This offseason, the Mavericks had already bitten the bullet on a drastic overhaul when they fired their head coach and general manager. Now, they deserve the time to assess their roster. This could partly explain why they were so reluctant to give Brunson a huge deal anyway. Mavs GM Nico Harrison even texted Cuban in early February, expressing his belief that Brunson's ties to New York, particularly his family connections, were too strong to overcome.
Rather than go out and make a market value offer, the Mavericks lowballed him with a four-year, $55.5 million extension. Unfortunately, this offer was not enough. That would have let them commit as much as $175.5 million over the five-year budget window. Brunson decided to put his name on the dotted line and accept the Knicks’ deal on the same night that it was offered.
Brunson accepted his fate as Luka Dončić’s running mate and bided his time behind a congested guard depth chart of Seth Curry, Delon Wright, Josh Richardson and Trey Burke. In the end, that opportunity drew him away to a startup with the Knicks.
"How can I be successful in my role or in whatever role they want me to be in?" Jalen Brunson reflected on his approach to adapting within the team dynamics.
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