The Dallas Mavericks have been under great scrutiny for their moves over the years. Two years after letting Jalen Brunson walk in free agency to sign with the New York Knicks, they traded away a generational superstar in Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers at this year’s trade deadline.
Since then, the Mavericks have been seemingly struck with bad luck by the basketball gods. Brunson became a superstar immediately after joining the Knicks when Dallas could have kept him for just $55 million, and Anthony Davis – the player they got in return for Doncic – played just one game with Dallas before suffering an injury and has not played since.
The Doncic trade was the move that set off the fanbase, as many of them felt betrayed by general manager Nico Harrison and the front office for trading away a fan favorite and a superstar talent just one season removed from a finals appearance. Doncic now has the Lakers as the second seed in the West pairing up with LeBron James, while Dallas has trended in the wrong direction. Despite that, former NBA player turned analyst Chandler Parsons thinks letting Brunson walk in free agency was a worse decision.
“Not resigning Jalen Brunson to a $55 million extension could be worse than trading Luka Doncic,” Parsons said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back.
Brunson could have signed a four-year, $55 million extension with Dallas before he even hit the open market. However, they never could agree on a deal and he ended up signing a four-year, $106 million deal with the Knicks fresh off of an outstanding performance in the 2022 playoffs with Dallas.
Brunson immediately rose to become a superstar, making for one of the best ascension stories in NBA history. Last season, he averaged 28.7 points, finished fifth in MVP voting, and recorded four consecutive 40-point games in the postseason. This season, a lot of that success is being replicated, as he is averaging 26.1 points and 7.4 assists, leads the NBA in clutch points, and has led the Knicks to a 40-20 record.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, are now without both Doncic and Brunson and are relying on a much older core led by Davis and Kyrie Irving. Unfortunately for them, their chances of winning a title this year have significantly diminished, as Irving suffered a season-ending torn ACL against the Sacramento Kings on Monday, which will likely keep him out for part of next season as well.
Unless the Mavericks eventually win a title with their current core, they will likely be thinking about how different things could be if they kept both Brunson and Doncic long-term.
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Ex-NBA Player Names Nico Harrison Move Worse Than Luka Doncic Trade
There’s at least one person who doesn’t think trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers was Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison’s worst move.
On Monday, Parsons was on FanDuel’s Run It Back when he claimed not signing Jalen Brunson to a $55 million contract extension may have been a worse decision than trading Doncic.
The Mavericks selected Brunson with a second-round pick (No. 33) in the 2018 NBA draft and he played four seasons in Dallas. Before the 2021-22 season, the Mavericks opted not to offer Brunson a four-year, $55 million extension. He had a breakout campaign and left for the New York Knicks in free agency. He has since become a two-time All-Star.
“Not re-signing Jalen Brunson to a $55 million extension could be worse than trading Luka,” Parsons said.
Brunson has become a legitimate star in New York. This season he’s averaging 26.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 35.3 minutes per game. But Doncic is pretty unanimously agreed to be one of the five best players in the sport and just turned 26.
Yes, Harrison got Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick back in return for Doncic, but it still looks like a lopsided move.
Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.
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