Former Knicks guard calls Mavericks out for not re-signing Jalen Brunson

While the New York Knicks have surprised many this season thanks in large part to Jalen Brunson, the Mavericks have disappointed without him. After having two opportunities to sign Brunson to a four-year, $55 million deal, the point guard left Dallas in free agency in favor of a four-year, $104 million contract in New York.

The Knicks will at least be able to finish the season by securing a trip to the play-in tournament. New York is currently No. 5 in the East with a 43-33 record, so if the season ended today, the team would secure a playoff berth without going through the play-in. The same can’t be said for the Mavericks, who will be lucky to compete in the play-in at this rate as the team is currently No. 11 in the West with a 37-39 record.

With their season on the line, Dallas dropped consecutive games against Charlotte over the weekend. Yes, the same team that had previously won only 30 games. To make matters worse, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both played.

The Mavericks aren’t playing poorly because they traded for Irving in early February, although his possible departure in free agency would reflect horribly on the organization after the front office sent two players, one first-round pick, and two second-round picks to Brooklyn. That’s another issue.

Right now, Dallas’ problem goes much further than trading for Irving. Former Knick Greg Anthony, who played in New York from 1991-96, offered his perspective as to why the Mavericks have taken a turn for the worst.

Former Knicks guard Greg Anthony blames Mavericks for not re-signing Jalen Brunson

Dallas drafted Jalen Brunson with the No. 33 overall pick in 2018. Rather than retain their homegrown talent, the Mavericks made the mistake of pushing Brunson away. The point guard hasn’t had anything bad to say about Dallas, but in a recent interview with Bleacher Report he said, “I wanted that role of being with the Mavericks for the long haul of my career.” That should hurt Mavericks fans to read.

There were questions about whether or not Brunson would be able to succeed without playing in Doncic’s shadow, and he quieted those doubts early on in the season. He’s averaging a career-high 23.8 points to go with a career-high 6.2 assists. If he would’ve stayed in Dallas, New York would most likely be fighting for a play-in spot at this point in the year.

Rather than commit long-term to a player that developed and grew within their own system, the Mavericks let Brunson go. As Anthony said, rather than prioritizing re-signing Steve Nash in 2004, he went back to Phoenix as a free agent. Dallas fans don’t need a reminder about how that played out.

Instead of learning from their mistakes, the Mavericks refuse to learn from their past. Not only did it cost them Jalen Brunson, but it could cost them Luka Doncic, too.

5 potential disgruntled superstars Knicks could be monitoring for offseason trade

With the Knicks still waiting to trade for a big-name player, here are 5 stars that the front office could be monitoring as the season winds down.