Report: Mavs Expected to Re-Sign Jalen Brunson; Latest Contract Projections
The top storyline surrounding the Dallas Mavericks entering the offseason is the looming free agency of Jalen Brunson. He is coming off a career year in regular-season production coupled with timely playoff heroics.
The Mavericks' top priority in the offseason will be to retain Brunson. There will be no shortage of teams interested in pursuing him, too. However, no team other than the Mavericks can offer a five-year deal, and they can exceed the salary cap using Bird rights to re-sign him.
According to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, there is a "growing sense" around the NBA that Brunson will return to the Mavericks after their run to the Western Conference Finals. His projected annual salary is expected to exceed $20 million with the potential to reach upwards of $25 million.
In the meantime, there's a growing sense among league personnel that Jalen Brunson will return to Dallas following the Mavericks' sprint to the Western Conference Finals.
There's a lot to like about Brunson's trajectory with the Mavericks under head coach Jason Kidd. He emerged as the full-time starting point guard midseason and could look to build upon a season with averages of 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 2022-23 as Luka Doncic's backcourt partner.
Some other teams, such as the New York Knicks, will either need to facilitate a sign-and-trade to acquire Brunson or clear sufficient cap space to outright sign him. A sign-and-trade would require the Mavericks' cooperation, which they will not oblige.
The main threat to sign Brunson outright is the Detroit Pistons due to their surpluses of salary cap space and a need to add a secondary ball-handler next to Cade Cunningham. However, they are limited to offering a four-year deal and would need to convince Brunson to depart from a more winning team.
Other possible suitors linked to Brunson have been linked, including the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards. Much like the Pistons, it isn't easy to envision either team having a more appealing basketball situation than the Mavericks.
The Mavericks must find avenues to improve their roster if they do retain Brunson. Experiencing internal development is always one way to improve, but they will be focused on making an upgrade at the center position.
You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth
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