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When’s Jalen Brunson going to make his return to Dallas for Knicks-Mavs?

By Jordanna Clark

DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 25: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates with Jalen Brunson #13 of the Dallas Mavericks after Brunson scored against the Utah Jazz in the second quarter of Game Five of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center on April 25, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 25: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates with Jalen Brunson #13 of the Dallas Mavericks after Brunson scored against the Utah Jazz in the second quarter of Game Five of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center on April 25, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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The 2022-23 NBA schedule is set to be released at 3 p.m. ET today, but a few notable games are already known, such as the New York Knicks’ Christmas Day matchup versus the Philadelphia Sixers.

According to Marc Stein, two days after the Knicks-Sixers square off at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 25, New York’s going to travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks in Jalen Brunson’s return to American Airlines Center.

The point guard will likely be met with a combination of cheers and boos, as he didn’t hold a meeting with Dallas on June 30 and it was instead reported that he was expected to sign a four-year deal with the Knicks. The Mavericks lost Brunson for nothing, but that was their own fault.

What Dallas fans should remember is how Brunson helped to lead the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals this past season. In the three games that Dallas played in the postseason without star Luka Doncic, Brunson averaged 32 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while shooting 50.7% from the field.

If it weren’t for Brunson, the Mavericks might not have been able to make it past the Utah Jazz in the first round.

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson is reportedly expected to make his return to Dallas on Dec. 27

For Dallas fans, it’ll surely be bittersweet to see Brunson in a Knicks uniform on the Mavericks’ home court. Rational fans should recognize that the point guard moved on to an opportunity that was a better fit for him, but there are still going to be those people who fault him for not staying in Dallas. But again, the Mavericks fumbled that opportunity.

In 2021-22, Brunson made $1.8 million with Dallas, but in 2022-23, he’s going to make $27.7 million. He received quite the payday from New York, although it’s on par with what other point guards in the league are making.

The 25-year-old has come a long way, and although he’s made the move to the Knicks, Dec. 27 will likely be emotional for him. After all, he’ll be going back to where his NBA career began in 2018 after he was drafted by the Mavericks with the No. 33 overall pick.

It’ll be fun to see Brunson and Doncic go up against one another on the same court where they’ve played countless games together. Both were drafted in 2018 and for the first time, they’ll be suiting up for different teams.

Hopefully, the Knicks will leave Dallas with a win. And it goes without saying that hopefully Brunson will go off, although Jason Kidd and the Mavericks are very familiar with his game.

The matchup will be a fun one during the slow period between Christmas and New Year’s. Be sure to keep an eye out for the full NBA schedule release later today.

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