The Dallas Mavericks passed on two opportunities to sign Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $55.5 million extension, first in the offseason and again in January 2022.
When the Mavericks were finally ready to offer Brunson the extension after the trade deadline in 2022, it was too late as his value across the NBA was already far higher than that.
Brunson left the Mavericks to sign a four-year, $104 million deal with the New York Knicks.
“I can’t say anything bad about Dallas,” Brunson told B/R, “but obviously I wish things would’ve happened differently.”
Brunson detailed his willingness to sign an extension with the Mavericks, which would have been very team friendly.
“There were two times that I thought we had offers on the table before the season, and then around, I think December or January, they looked the other way,” Brunson said. “They had every right in the world to do so. I don’t blame them for making any business decisions. That’s on them.”
Brunson is still complimentary of the Mavericks.
“At the same time, I respect them,” Brunson told B/R. “They brought me into this league and jump-started my career. Business is business. My four years in Dallas were special. When I first got drafted there, I had that mindset of seeing myself being there for a very long time. My vet at the time, J.J. Barea, he taught me so much and he was there for such a long time. I wanted that role of being with the Mavericks for the long haul of my career. I truly loved that place. As I continued to get older, I got better, and I got more opportunities to showcase my game.
“Both coaching staffs I had there were amazing. Jason Kidd helped unlock something in me that I didn’t think would happen that fast. I was growing as a player, but when the playoffs hit, he pushed me to a new level. It was great there. The whole organization and the city of Dallas was special to me and my family. Those four years were amazing.”
