Jalen Brunson details how negotiations with Dallas Mavericks failed / News - Basketnews.com

Brunson said he wanted to stay in Dallas, but the Mavs wanted to look at how the 2021-22 season progressed 20-25 games into it. The two sides had a 4-year $55 million deal on the table. No offer came after the trade deadline, and Brunson thought he had outgrown the initial offer.

Credit: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con/Scanpix Credit USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con/Scanpix

After the exit in the Western Conference Finals in 2022, Jalen Brunson was seen as an integral part of the Dallas Mavericks. However, the guard left the team in free agency and went on to sign with the New York Knicks. Brunson now detailed how it all happened.

Jalen Brunson

MIN:35.93PTS:27.55 (56.49%)REB:3.84As:6.55ST:0.92BL:0.18TO:2.39GM:51ProfileNBA2023/2024

The Knicks guard went on the All the Smoke podcast recently, where he shared the timeline of how the negotiations with the Mavs progressed and ultimately failed.

"There was a chance. I really did want to stay in Dallas. I think before my fourth season in Dallas, we tried to extend our contract, and the most we could get was 4 years, $55 million. Obviously, I wanted to do that, I wanted to stay," Brunson said. "I thought I would be there for a long time. I liked my role there. It's funny because my agent was like, 'You can do so much, you can get more, you can get more.' I just wanted to be safe. I'm not trying to gamble. It's not something you gamble with if it's out there.

They were like, 'We want to see where we're at 20-25 games into the season.' But I realized if we're not doing it, I kind of didn't want to do it until after the season," the player explained. "I'm not trying to think about this [during the season]. There was a period when Luka went out, and I started to start. I was playing really well, I think I was averaging 20 and 6 maybe. It was at that 20-25[-game] mark. I was like, 'Hey, if the deal is there, we're thinking about it. I'll do it right now.' And it was no. It wasn't a hard no, but it was like, 'We want to see, we want to see.'"

With Luka Doncic dealing with multiple injuries during the 2021-22 season, Brunson received additional opportunities to showcase his skills on the court without being under the wing of a superstar.

Brunson made the best out of it, but Dallas remained hesitant, the player says.

3-pointers this season

37%12,9Points made:12,9Accuracy:36,7%Place in standings:14Record max:20Record min:5Most made 3FGs:Donte DiVincenzoTeamNBAStatisticsSchedule

"I wanted to stay there. Trade deadline comes. I'm thinking if I'm not getting an extension, I'm probably going to get traded with the way I've been playing - I've been playing somewhat decent. That didn't happen. The deal came off the table after the trade deadline," Brunson recalled. "I was like, 'No, I think I've outgrown that now.' Personally, that's what I thought. I thought I had outgrown that.

Obviously, going into playoffs, Luka gets hurt second to last game or the last game of the season. He was out for the first three games, and I did what I did. Ain't no looking back. That all happens. I'm trying to think of the timeline so I don't mess up. We lose in the Western Conference Finals, and I remember seeing something on Twitter after the game, and it was [Mavs owner] Mark [Cuban] saying, 'Hey, we can pay him the most money.' He says that in an interview, whatever. Literally, right after the game. I'm thinking, alright, ok. After that, it was crickets. From my point of view - I can't speak for anybody else - it was crickets," Brunson concluded.

The player went on to sign with the Knicks, a franchise just an hour-drive away from where Brunson was born.

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