With Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson leading the way, the Dallas Mavericks made a run to the Western Conference Finals last season, where they ultimately lost against the Golden State Warriors.
The last game of the series ended up being Brunson’s last game with the franchise, and now the only thing left for him to do is reflect on the past and where it all went wrong.
“I can’t say anything bad about Dallas,” Brunson told Bleacher Report. “But obviously, I wish things would’ve happened differently.”
According to Jalen, the Mavericks had the chance to retain him during the season but ultimately chose not to act.
“There were two times that I thought we had offers on the table before the season, and then around, I think, December or January, they looked the other way,” Brunson said. “They had every right in the world to do so. I don’t blame them for making any business decisions. That’s on them.”
At the time, the Mavericks probably thought Brunson was worth less than the money he was seeking, and the decision to let his contract expire is a move they probably regret today.
“At the same time, I respect them,” Brunson said. “They brought me into this league and jump-started my career. Business is business. My four years in Dallas were special. When I first got drafted there, I had that mindset of seeing myself being there for a very long time. My vet at the time, J.J. Barea, he taught me so much, and he was there for such a long time. I wanted that role of being with the Mavericks for the long haul of my career. I truly loved that place. As I continued to get older, I got better, and I got more opportunities to showcase my game.”
At the end of the day, the NBA is a business, and teams have to make the best business decisions for their franchise. Will this decision come back to bite Dallas on the butt? Only time will truly tell, but so far, it is looking that way.
Will Brunson Ever Return To Dallas?
Even after the Kyrie Irving deal, the Mavericks have struggled to keep their heads above water, and Irving’s looming free agency could mean the Mavs lose another star point guard. All the while, Brunson is having a pretty good time in New York.
“I’ve known them for a long time. It’s family,” Brunson said on the Knicks. “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 interests at heart, and I think Leon [Rose] probably saw me before my dad did, so it’s just one big family for me, and I’m just super excited.”
While the door is still open to a potential return one day, Brunson’s tenure in New York is going about as well as it possibly could have, and it’s fair to say he has no regrets.
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