NBA players often dream of starting and ending their careers with the same team. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for Jalen Brunson, who started his career with the Dallas Mavericks. After four seasons with the Mavs, instead of inking a deal with Dallas, Brunson went on to sign with the New York Knicks in free agency and has since turned into a star for the franchise. Making an appearance on the Taylor Rooks Show, the Villanova alum sat down for an exclusive interview discussing his move to NY from his former team.
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Rooks asked, “Is it that Dallas did not know what they had or is it that were you not that player yet?” The New York Knicks star not only talked about both aspects but also shared his true emotions for his former team. Brunson recalled his initial years with the Mavericks, claiming he was a much better player now than he was back then.
“I feel like at the end of my time in Dallas, I was starting to get there. There was never assurance from them, there was never assurance from me…I feel like I’ve definitely established myself more now the past two years than I did my first four years.”
JB did not hold any grudge over the fact that the Mavericks did not pursue his services more aggressively. Instead, he addressed his situation back then purely from an executive’s perspective.
“It’s not a knock on anybody. You have to make decisions… That’s just how it goes. Sometimes you strike gold, sometimes you’re digging for nothing. You can’t say, ‘Hey, you guys messed up’… No one knew then.”
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Brunson addressed the situation from both angles of how a player and a team need to make different decisions in terms of what’s best for them. The Villanova product mentioned establishing himself more than he did in Dallas is something no one could’ve predicted.
Both sides making decisions in their best interest has ensured no animosity remains between the two parties. Jalen revealed the fact that he was still in touch with owner, Mark Cuban, along with a lot of players who are currently on the Dallas roster. He also mentioned how no side held any grudges and both Brunson and the Mavericks moved on.
As per CBSSports, Jalen Brunson had every intention of staying with Dallas. It was the Mavericks organization who rejected his offer to sign him to a four-year/$55 million contract not once but twice.
“I wanted to stay there, I thought I would be there for a long time, and I liked my role there…But [the Mavericks] were like, ‘We want to see where we’re at by like 20, 25 games into the season.'”
But even after the 20-25 game mark, the Mavericks rejected Brunson’s offer when he promptly went to the front office with the same deal. Jalen felt he would be traded by the deadline that year but that wasn’t the case. He went on to perform exceptionally well in the playoffs, helping the Mavericks past the Jazz and the Suns. However, by the end of the season when the Mavericks went to revisit that offer, the fourth-year Brunson had outgrown that deal.
Now, since joining the New York Knicks, Jalen Brunson’s trajectory has only been on the rise. Starting off being the team’s second or third option on offense in the first year, Brunson has now become the team’s main piece going forward. The Knicks guard led the team to an incredible playoff run that sadly came to an end when he sustained an injury during the series against the Pacers.
On the other hand, Dallas went on to sign Kyrie Irving to pair him alongside their star, Luka Doncic. The team also added core pieces this season to their roster, and are currently in the NBA Finals in the hopes of getting their second championship.
