Homecoming: Knicks Out-Duel Mavs to Sign Jalen Brunson to $104 Million Contract
The New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks each gave themselves an assignment entering NBA Free agency: Get Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks succeeded at the assignment, somehow beating the "home-team'' Mavs - maybe by doing a better job being the "home team.''
In Dallas, this is a failed assignment, as staying with the Mavs obviously wasn’t Brunson’s top priority - to the point where the Mavs are claiming he didn't even give them a chance to offer.
Brunson on Thursday agreed to a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks shortly after NBA free agency began. It can be argued that there was a bit of a dog-and-pony show with the Knicks announcing that they were “meeting” with the player … but that smelled mostly like a reaction to the Mavericks’ gripes about “tampering.”
The Mavs were set to meet with Brunson at one point, but that meeting was called off after Dallas realized it was going to be a waste of time.
After pulling off a career-best year with averages of 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, Brunson followed it with postseason heroics. With Luka Doncic sidelined for the first three games of the Mavericks' first-round series against the Utah Jazz, Brunson averaged 32.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists.
Brunson's perceived value soared after leading the Mavericks to a 2-1 record to begin their series against the Jazz without Doncic. He continued to make a significant impact with averages of 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 18 playoff games as the Mavericks made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.
The Mavericks had initially hoped a five-year, $106 million contract offer would be enough to secure Brunson's signature. Instead, Brunson leaves the shadow of Doncic to come to New York to run his own show ... in his actual home town.
