Mark Cuban, Mavs Have Only One Way to Live Down Jalen Brunson Free Agency Blunder
If the Dallas Mavericks think the sting of fumbling Jalen Brunson's free agency last summer is going to fade away anytime soon, they need to think again. With every New York Knicks playoff win, and with every big Brunson playoff moment, Mavs fans will be painfully reminded of the worst blunder owner Mark Cuban has made since letting Steve Nash walk in 2004.
On Sunday, the Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series to take a commanding 3-1 lead. Brunson led the way with 29 points, six rebounds and six assists while shooting 11-22 from the field and 5-9 from deep. With the Knicks up 94-87 with 1:45 left in the game, Brunson nailed a dagger 3-pointer that sent the jam-packed Madison Square Garden crowd into a frenzy.
The Mavs acquired eight-time All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving at this year's trade deadline, which makes up for losing Brunson if you strictly look at it from a one-on-one perspective. However, even though Irving is the better individual player, his addition wasn't enough to overcome subtracting Brunson, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith from a roster that made it to the Western Conference Finals last year.
Not to mention, Brunson is nearly five years younger than Irving, and the Mavs had to spend a 2029 first-round pick with no guarantee Irving will re-sign in free agency this summer. If Irving does end up re-signing, the Mavs will be able to breath a brief sigh of relieve, as securing your two superstars is the hardest part of building a title contender. But from there, Cuban and GM Nico Harrison will still have a lot work to do in order to rebuild their team's depth.
There are a few ways the Mavs can lesson the sting of losing Brunson this offseason: They can hope for NBA Lottery luck for the first time in franchise history on May 16. They can re-sign Irving. They can add better defensive personnel around Irving and Luka Doncic.
But even if the Mavs do all of that, the only real way Cuban and company will be able to live down the Brunson mishap is by winning a championship. Dallas was three wins away from the NBA Finals with Doncic and Brunson leading the way last year, now it must find a way to become a playoff team again while also taking that next step toward winning a title.
It's a lot easier said than done, but it's the reality of the situation for the Mavs front office. Until they get a chance to redeem themselves this summer, though, they'll have to keep watching as Brunson continues to lead the Knicks to playoff success and hope they haven't had in a long time.
Follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter @dalton_trigg.
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