The Dallas Mavericks have completely collapsed this season, and now many are pointing to the loss of Jalen Brunson as a big reason why. And Mark Cuban believes there was a specific reason for Brunson’s departure.
On Tuesday, Luka Doncic was asked how much the team misses Brunson, who was drafted by Dallas in 2018 and spent four seasons with them. He said they missed Brunson “a lot” and he complimented Brunson on being an “amazing guy, amazing player.”
Luka Doncic is asked how much the Mavericks miss Jalen Brunson:
"A lot. Amazing guy, amazing player."
(via @dallasmavs) pic.twitter.com/EEYpgKozBr
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 4, 2023
Brunson, who left the Mavericks in free agency to sign a 4-year, $104 million deal with the New York Knicks, is having a breakout season. His Knicks are fifth in the East, while the Mavs entered play on Wednesday in the 11th spot in the West. He said Tuesday that he was surprised by Dallas’ struggles.
Jalen Brunson is asked if he's surprised at how things have gone for the Mavericks this season:
"I am surprised. I honestly have no comment about that, but it's definitely surprising." pic.twitter.com/gTTZvBz7pM
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 4, 2023
Where the Mavs are compared to where the Knicks are has led many to point to Brunson as a turning point for both teams.
Just recently, Brunson said that he would have been willing to sign with the Mavericks for nearly half of what he got from the Knicks. He blamed Dallas for not making him the offer.
On Tuesday, Mavericks owner Cuban said the team never had the opportunity to sign Brunson to a 4-year, $55.5 million deal.
Cuban also says in a pre-game media session that the Mavericks "never had the opportunity" to re-sign Jalen Brunson on a four-year, $56 million extension in the weeks before the trade deadline as has been previously reported. https://t.co/HV1OFICPcF
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 5, 2023
Cuban also said that things went wrong “when the parents got involved” in the Brunson situation.
Mark Cuban is blaming Rick Brunson for the Mavs losing Jalen Brunson in free agency, saying “things went south when the parents got involved.”
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 5, 2023
Cuban is talking about Rick Brunson, who is Jalen’s father. Rick was hired by the Knicks last year to be an assistant coach. He has a long history of working with NBA teams, including ones coached by Tom Thibodeau, as a player development specialist.
Perhaps Cuban feels that once the Knicks hired Rick, Jalen was sold on going to play for his father’s team. The decision has paid off so far.
