Current New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson was on the show “All the Smoke” where he described his final playing days with the Dallas Mavericks. During his appearance on the podcast, he went into his thought process before he was traded to New York that will have Dallas fans peeved to the umpteenth degree.
Brunson ready to sign a contract extension with Mavericks multiple times
Brunson originally wanted to stay with the Mavericks and was ready to sign a four-year, $55 million contract extension that was being talked about, but the team never pursued it. Brunson said he would've signed the contract before his final season with Dallas or about 20 to 25 games into the season, but the Mavs never followed through.
“So there was a period when Luka went out, and I started to start, and I was playing really well,” Brunson said. “I think I was averaging like 20 & 6 maybe whatever, and so it was about that 20 – 25 (game) mark. We went back and was like, hey, if the deal's there, we’re thinking about it, like I’ll do it like right now, and still it was no. It wasn’t a hard no. It was like we want to see. We want to see.”
Brunson regarding Dallas contract extension: ‘I think I've outgrown that'
His mindset changed with his former team when the trade deadline passed and then the Mavericks offered a deal. It was too little too late as Brunson said that “I think I've outgrown that now.”
“This was Dallas because I originally – I wanted to stay there. So trade deadline comes, I’m thinking if I’m not getting extended, then I’m probably going to get traded,” Brunson said. “Probably I think the way I’ve been playing, I’m playing somewhat decent. So that didn’t happen. The deal came on the table after the trade deadline, and I was like, no, I think I’ve outgrown that now. Personally, that’s what I thought. I think I’ve outgrown that.”
Last-ditch effort by Mark Cuban to retain Brunson?
However, there could have been another chance for Brunson to stay with Dallas after he saw something from owner Mark Cuban where he expressed that they can give the star a lot of money.
It piqued the interest of Brunson, but he would tell hosts and former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson that he heard “crickets” on his end about a last-ditch opportunity to get a contract extension.
“So we lose in the Western Conference Finals, and I remember seeing something on Twitter after the game, and it was like Mark (Cuban) saying, hey, we can pay him the most money,” Brunson said. “So he says that on Twitter or in the interview whatever like literally right after the game, so I’m thinking like, okay. After that, it was like crickets, from my point of view. I can't speak for anyone else. It was like crickets.”
As Brunson reaches new heights with New York, Mavericks fans are left to wonder what it would have been like to see superstar Luka Doncic with the Knicks star's current play. On the season, he is averaging 27.6 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the field.
For reference, with the Mavericks in his last season, he was averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 50.2 percent from the field.
Brunson is leading the Knicks as they are 33-22, which puts them fourth in the Eastern Conference as their next game is against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
As for the Mavericks, they are 32-23 on the season, which puts them seventh in the Western Conference as their next contest is Thursday as well against the Phoenix Suns.
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