Jalen Brunson already ended the New York Knicks' championship drought in June, so there isn't much else he can do to make the Mavericks regret letting him walk in free agency (other than winning another title). He's still finding ways to make them look silly, even teaming up with Luka Dončić to do it.
Brunson and Dončić are the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week (Nov. 2-8).
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 3 of the 2026-27 season (Nov. 2-8). pic.twitter.com/vdH60LaLdx
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) November 9, 2026
How would you feel if you were a Mavericks fan scrolling on X (Twitter) and saw that graphic pop up? It'd feel like another punch to the gut, knowing that there was a time when both were in Dallas after being drafted in 2018.
And to make matters worse, Brunson would've re-signed with Dallas in 2021 if the front office had offered him the four-year, $55 million contract he was eligible for. But the Mavericks declined twice, and when they finally offered it after the 2022 trade deadline, he said he was worth more, and that's why he went on to sign the four-year, $104 million deal with the Knicks.
Hey, at least Dallas got something in return for Dončić, though it wasn't anything comparable to what it could've gotten for him.
Brunson and Doncic are NBA Players of the Week
In retrospect, the Mavericks' mishandling of the Brunson situation looked minor compared with the Dončić trade that sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick to Dallas. It was malpractice; that's all Dallas got in return for its superstar guard, who was less than a year removed from leading the team to the NBA Finals.
Brunson will go down in NBA history as one of the biggest NBA free-agent steals of all time, and the Dončić trade as the worst trade of all time (unless you're a Lakers fan).
At least the Mavericks stumbled into drafting Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and as phenomenal as he already is (and will be), his presence alone isn't enough to erase how Brunson and Dončić's time in Dallas ended.
It actually puts more pressure on Dallas to have won at least one championship by the time Flagg's career is over, and that's if he stays with the Mavericks. If they fumbled one future superstar and a player already at the superstar level, why wouldn't fans worry they'd eventually do the same with the 19-year-old?
After all, the same person (Patrick Dumont) who approved the Dončić trade is the controlling owner.
For now, at least, fans can enjoy watching Flagg play basketball, but they still can't fully escape Brunson. Or Dončić. If the Knicks have it their way, they'll be right back where they were last June, with their star point guard leading the way. That wouldn't have been possible if Dallas had signed him to the extension when it had the chance.
New York is glad it didn't.
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