In a move that was widely expected for months, Jalen Brunson opted to leave the Dallas Mavericks and take his talents to the New York Knicks in free agency. The two sides agreed to a four-year, $104 million deal on Thursday.

Brunson leaves the Mavericks with plenty of respect and admiration for the organization. On Saturday, Brunson took to Instagram to bid his farewell to the Mavericks.

“Dallas, thank you for everything!” Brunson wrote. “You have embraced me from the moment you drafted me. You believed in me and were able to watch me grow as a person and a player. This city will forever hold a special place in my heart. Thank you Mark, Nico, Jkidd, and the rest of the coaching staff for putting me in a position to succeed.

“My teammates, without you none of this would possible. … Lastly, the fans. You guys have been there every step of the way with me. Thank you for making my experience in Dallas incredible. Even if most of you are Cowboys fans, you guys accepted an Eagles fan without hesitation (I hope) Thank you for everything. Always Love.”

The Mavericks were quite interested in keeping Brunson on the team. However, they reportedly faced a dilemma on this matter, as they set a price point at a possible $22 million per year deal for the versatile guard. At best, the Mavericks were open to placing a five-year offer on the table for him in free agency.

In the end, the Mavericks did not receive an opportunity to at the least make an attempt to convince Brunson to snub the Knicks and remain in Dallas. He was slated to meet with Mavericks team officials on Thursday, but his representatives called off the scheduled meeting as he zoned in on completing a move to the Knicks.

Brunson blossomed with the Mavs in each of his four years in the organization. He upped his free agency value this past season, posting career highs in both points per game (16.3) and assists per game (4.8). He also emerged as a keen contributor in Dallas’ run to the Western Conference finals, which included recording a 27.8 points per game average in the first-round series win over the Utah Jazz.

Much attention is now set on how the Mavs plan to bolster their backcourt depth over the remainder of free agency.