According to an excerpt from ‘THE WONDER BOY: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness,’ Jalen Brunson was willing to re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks for four years and $50M in the summer of 2021.
The maximum Brunson was eligible for at the time was four years and $55.5M. Dallas was unsure about making that kind of commitment to Brunson, and it all fell apart from there.
When the 2021-22 season rolled around, Brunson made a name for himself in the playoffs. Especially in the first round against the Utah Jazz, Brunson was challenged to step up as Luka Doncic dealt with a calf problem.
In Games 2 and 3 of that series, Brunson had a 41-point game and a 31-point game, showcasing what he was capable of in a primary role.
With Brunson now holding the cards, it was time for the Mavs to pay up. Yesterday’s price was not today’s price.
“We’ve got to figure out if Dallas wants him. Not words,” Rick Brunson, Jalen’s father, said. “Ain’t no discount. So don’t put it on us. Don’t tell me you love me. Show me.”
Even the following season, Cuban — according to the book — estimated Brunson’s value to be around $21M per season. Brunson went on to sign with the New York Knicks for four years and $104M.
The maximum the Mavs could have offered was five years worth $175.5M.
Mavs Fans Take Another Punch To The Gut
Is there anything left that could hurt Mavs fans anymore?
The Doncic trade has been a nightmare, Kyrie Irving is out for the season and possibly most of next season, and there are several others still on the mend. Hopes of winning a title this season have completely evaporated.
Now? The idea that Brunson could have been re-signed on the cheap is another decision that will haunt the franchise for a long time.
Mark Cuban, then still the majority owner, claims he didn’t know how much the Knicks offered and so couldn’t counter.
“We didn’t know what the bid was,” Cuban said. “They never gave us a number. Knowing the numbers now, I would’ve paid it in a heartbeat, but he wouldn’t have come anyway. There’s just no possible way that it was about money.”
It doesn’t make sense that Cuban wouldn’t counter because he didn’t know the Knicks’ number. At the end of the day, if Dallas valued Brunson enough, they would have made a significant offer regardless. The Mavs also had the advantage of Texas’s income tax laws which are far more favorable than what New York has to offer.
It’s not the first time Cuban has misread the market on a star point guard, losing Steve Nash to the Phoenix Suns in the summer of 2004.
