The New York Knicks are widely expected to sign Jalen Brunson in free agency, and apparently, part of their pitch to lure the guard away from the Dallas Mavericks is Luka Doncic's status with the team.
According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, the Knicks are offering Brunson to be a full-time point guard and run the show in New York, something he can't do with the Mavs. While he can play alongside Luka Doncic as a starter, it's still the Slovenian handling the rock most of the time.
Jalen Brunson showed in the playoffs that he can lead a team on his own, helping the Mavs stay afloat in the first round against the Utah Jazz when Luka Doncic was out due to injury. Naturally, he would want a bigger role on a team where he can fully unleash his potential and show everyone what he can do.
While there is the opportunity to win in Dallas after getting so close in the 2022 playoffs, it might be hard for Brunson to reject the thought of being the main point guard like he can with the Knicks. Not to mention that he'll get paid handsomely either way, with New York reportedly ready to offer him a four-year, $100 million contract.
For what it's worth, it has been revealed that there is “growing resignation” within the Mavs' camp that Brunson's departure to New York is inevitable. A lot of things can still happen in free agency, but it is certainly not looking good for Dallas.