During the 2022 NBA playoffs, one thing became ever so clear: Jalen Brunson was a star in the making. Brunson began to break out after the Dallas Mavericks’ stunning decision to trade Kristaps Porzingis away, and he helped the Mavericks reach the Western Conference Finals despite fielding a bit of a shallow roster. However, the Mavs decided not to keep him, letting him go to the New York Knicks on a four-year, $104 million contract in free agency.
Many were not yet convinced of Brunson’s stardom at the time, with some even wondering whether or not the Knicks overpaid to fill their longstanding void at point guard. No one is wondering that right now. The Knicks have been a playoff force ever since they brought Brunson in, and they finally got over the hump in 2026, winning the title after taking care of the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, 4-1.
Brunson recorded 45 points on efficient shooting in the Knicks’ 94-90 win on the road in Game 5 to seal the championship, and he even won Finals MVP — all because the Mavericks refused to believe that they had a star on their hands all the way back in 2022.
Playing the what-if game is tantalizing. But the fact of the matter is, the Mavs burned their bridge with Brunson by repeatedly lowballing him in contract negotiations. With Brunson’s father, Rick, having connections in New York, the frayed relationship between the star guard and the Mavericks made the decision to leave for the Knicks that much easier.
This is not the first mistake the Mavericks have made with a franchise point guard. They infamously let Steve Nash go in 2004 before he turned the Phoenix Suns around and won back-to-back MVPs. For over half a decade, the Suns had a realistic chance of winning it all with Nash leading the way.
Now, the Mavericks have erred in a similar manner yet again, only for it to come out worse after Brunson and the Knicks have now won a title. Only a Luka Doncic championship with the Los Angeles Lakers would be worse for the franchise.
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