Before Jalen Brunson emerged as an All-Star for the New York Knicks, he honed his skills and developed his game with the Dallas Mavericks. During his time in Dallas, Brunson transitioned from a role player to a Sixth Man of the Year candidate and eventually became a starter. His journey with the Knicks, where he has flourished, invites a look back at what might have been had he remained with the Mavericks. Could Brunson have continued to thrive alongside Luka Doncic and helped lead Dallas to a championship? Or was his potential in Dallas limited, making his move to New York inevitable?
Now, with both franchises moving forward, the questions about Brunson’s past are more reflective than pressing. The Mavericks made it to the NBA Finals in 2024, while the Knicks have reached the Eastern Conference semifinals in two consecutive seasons after previously missing the playoffs for eight out of nine years. Both teams are in good positions, but the decision to part ways still lingers in the background.
Recently, Brunson had Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban as a guest on his podcast, and one of the key topics of discussion was Brunson’s free agency in 2022. At that time, Cuban, then the Mavericks’ majority owner, was deeply involved in the team’s basketball operations.
During their conversation, Brunson brought up a particular aspect of the negotiation process that had bothered him. “The only thing that I… I didn’t like about the whole situation was when Mark said, ‘When the parents got involved, that’s when things got messy.’ So that was the one thing that I was like, I kinda was like, ‘Damn, that was a little jab.'”
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Cuban had previously addressed this situation in April 2023, where he acknowledged the complexities of the negotiation but attempted to steer clear of diving too deeply into the details.
On the podcast, Cuban reiterated his reluctance to revisit the issue, saying, “I didn’t want to go there [on the podcast],” and added, “there’s no reason for us to talk about any of that stuff.” However, he did offer an apology to Brunson, stating, “I apologize if it put you in a certain way, that wasn’t the intention.”
Reflecting on the situation, Cuban admitted, “It was hard to deal with. It was a unique negotiation in a lot of different ways.” But Brunson disagreed with Cuban’s characterization, comparing it to a more recent negotiation with Knicks player Isaiah Hartenstein, saying, “I would say it’s the same negotiation that we just went through with Isaiah [Hartenstein]. I would say it’s pretty similar.”
Despite the initial tension, both Brunson and Cuban have moved past the situation. “It’s over and done with. We’re here now, and that’s that,” Brunson said, signaling that there are no lingering hard feelings. Cuban echoed this sentiment, saying, “There’s definitely no hard feelings at all. But it’s always interesting when your dad and I walk by each other, you know, it’s just like he gives me the eye, I give him the eye, then we smile and then keep on walking, right? And so all is well and ends well.”
Jalen’s father, Rick Brunson, is a former NBA player who currently serves as an assistant coach on Tom Thibodeau’s staff with the Knicks.
The connection between the Brunson family and the Mavericks may have ended on the court, but it seems the relationship off the court, though complicated, has found a way to settle into a mutual respect.
