The New York Knicks just won their first NBA championship in 53 years. It was the Knicks' first appearance in an NBA Finals since 1999, and they just proved that the cornerstone of the Knicks' franchise is the real deal. For the Dallas Mavericks, it's another failure they will regret for ages.
Jalen Brunson, the former Mavs guard, has proven to be one of the best in the game, and it helps that he's one of the most clutch players. The Mavs and Nico Harrison didn't see that though, and decided to let him walk.
The Mavericks tried to sign him for a four-year, $55 million extension, and the Brunson camp reportedly laughed off that offer. Rightfully so, Brunson knew his worth and signed with the Knicks. The Mavs learned their lesson, and it's a bigger lesson to learn than the Luka Doncic trade.
Brunson winning the NBA championship shows the Mavericks' biggest franchise blunder
Of course, every NBA fan out there thinks the Doncic trade was terrible, but Dallas losing Brunson for basically nothing hurts the most after the NBA championship. Brunson was beginning his peak when the Mavericks lost him in 2022, and now he's one of the best players in the game.
Why would Harrison think that a player in his mid-20s would sign a team-friendly deal when they knew other teams would aggressively pursue him? It seems Harrison didn't want him anyway, but the Knicks' offer made sense, considering his dad, Rick, was signed that same offseason.
In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Brunson accounted for almost half the team's buckets, putting up a game-high 45 points. This was a Jordanesque performance by the former Mavs guard, and he made every Mavs fan feel the pain of losing a star four years ago.
Every Mavericks fan is definitely happy for Brunson, especially beating the Western Conference foe, the San Antonio Spurs. It proves that while the Doncic trade was unexpected and heartbreaking, it shows the Mavs could've had Brunson and Doncic in 2026, and they don't have either.
With the Mavericks cleaning house after the Doncic trade, it looks possible that Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont may be drawing up the master plan for a dream reunion. Still, we'll have to wait until 2028 to see something realistically happen.
Although it looks like Brunson is on top of the world, winning a championship in New York with his dad. The Doncic trade will always hurt, but Brunson has something Doncic doesn't: an NBA championship.
Add us as a preferred source on Google