'Knicks Have My Best Interest in Mind': Jalen Brunson on Leaving Mavs
On Tuesday, the New York Knicks held their first press conference since signing Jalen Brunson away from the Dallas Mavericks in free agency with a four-year contract in excess of $100 million. Although Brunson claims that his decision to leave Dallas wasn't an easy one, he revealed why he ultimately chose the Knicks.
“I’ve known [the Knicks] for a long time. It’s family,” said Brunson. “It’s a comfort level to this and something that I just couldn’t turn a blind eye to. I know that these guys have my best interest at heart, and I thinkLeon [Rose] probably saw me before my dad did, so it’s just one big family for me and I’m just super excited."
After being selected by the Mavs with the No. 33 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Brunson improved in every one of his four seasons in Dallas, but he really took off last season under first-year Mavs head coach Jason Kidd. In December, Kidd made Brunson a full-time starter, and the rest is history. Brunson averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season while shooting 50.2 percent from the field, including 37.3 percent from 3-point range. He was also a key reason the Mavs made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.
“For the longest time, I thought I’d never leave Dallas. I thought Dallas was my home for my entire career," said Brunson.
"It’s great place, a place that I really wanted to be, and I’m so thankful that they took a chance on me. It was definitely tough. I’m going to miss my teammates. That organization’s special. The relationships that I made that, it was really special, so I’m definitely going to miss it.”
Brunson believes the Knicks have his "best interest in mind" due to family ties, and perhaps that's true to a certain extent, but actions might speak louder than words before it's said and done.
The Mavs promoted Brunson and made him a priority as the team's second-best player next to Luka Doncic. On the other hand, though, after thinking he'd be the top guy in New York, Brunson now has to watch as the Knicks consider moving mountains in order to trade for Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell ... essentially putting Brunson back in the No. 2 slot behind a player he outplayed in the postseason.
Isn't being the second option more appealing when your No. 1 is a three-time All-NBA First Team player and your team was talented enough to make a conference finals run? Brunson should thrive in his new home regardless of who is added to New York's roster. ... It just might not be exactly what he envisioned when he initially made the decision to leave Dallas.
You can follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter at @dalton_trigg
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Mavericks? Click Here.
Follow DallasBasketball.com on Twitter.
Catch up on the latest Mavs Step Back Podcast episodes:
