Three years ago, Jalen Brunson was with the Mavericks. There were rumors about his upcoming free agency, particularly his connections with the New York Knicks. Brunson's value had shot up -- and it'd continue to rise in the 2022 playoffs when the point guard led the Mavericks while Luka Doncic missed a few games with a calf injury.
Shortly after the free agency period began, Brunson agreed to sign a four-year, $104 million deal with New York. Mark Cuban made it out like the Mavericks didn't have a chance to compete with the Knicks and Brunson's ties to the organization (the biggest one being Leon Rose), but that wasn't the case.
Brunson has since said he was willing to sign a four-year, $55 million extension twice with Dallas -- before the 2021-22 season and again in January. The Mavericks declined to do so both times. Even worse, the front office opted not to trade him before the February 2022 deadline.
On Monday, ESPN posted an excerpt from Tim MacMahon's book, THE WONDER BOY: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness. It details why Brunson left the Mavericks, including a text that Nico Harrison sent Cuban before the 2022 deadline:
"I just think this New York thing is too tied to his family to overcome," Mavs GM Nico Harrison texted to Cuban in early February.
Nico Harrison knew odds were Brunson would sign with Knicks in free agency
As MacMahon wrote, Dallas opted not to trade Brunson before the deadline, even though teams (like New York) were interested. The Mavericks then offered Brunson the four-year, $55 million extension, but he rightfully turned it down because he knew he was worth more than that. Dallas missed the opportunity to re-sign its 2018 second-round pick.
Harrison became the Mavericks' GM in June 2021, a year before Brunson left. Letting the point guard walk in free agency was the first of his blunders, but certainly not the biggest.
He'll forever be known for trading Doncic to the Lakers in a stunning move that set the organization back. Harrison has tried to defend his actions but to no avail. There's no good excuse for trading a 25-year-old superstar who led your team to the NBA Finals less than a year before.
It didn't seem like Harrison and Dallas could make themselves look worse than letting Brunson walk to New York for nothing. Brunson's elevated the Knicks to a place they haven't been in a long time. He's been named an All-Star twice and is on his way to making two All-NBA teams (if he meets the 65-game threshold).
Trading Brunson to the Knicks before the deadline would've been enough of a blunder, but at least the Mavericks would've gotten something in return.
Brunson wanted to stay in Dallas but was destined to play in New York. Thankfully, the Mavericks' incompetence helped him get there.