The Dallas Mavericks have a reputation for allowing big-name players to walk throughout history. Steve Nash became an MVP right after leaving Dallas for the Phoenix Suns. The Kristaps Porzingis project didn't last long, and of course, the infamous Luka Doncic trade, where fans brought caskets to the American Airlines Center.
The NBA Playoffs have exposed the Mavs once again, as former Mavs guard Jalen Brunson has been balling in the playoffs and is one game away from leading the Knicks to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. ESPN's Jay Williams made a claim on Brunson that Mavericks fans would hate, but it's one of those takes that's much too early to say.
"If they win a championship... [Jalen Brunson] has a chance to be the greatest Knick ever."
ESPN's Jay Williams is making Mavericks fans regret losing Jalen Brunson
The worst way to regret losing a star? Win an NBA championship in another uniform.
In 2022, when Brunson was an unrestricted free agent, he had every reason to head somewhere else. Family ties and proximity played a role in Brunson moving to New York, but it hurts even more knowing that since he joined the Knicks, he has become an All-NBA player and even the MVP of the NBA Cup.
With Doncic as the undisputed (former) leader of the Mavs, it was easy for the Mavs to look in one direction with Doncic and leave Brunson to make his own decision about his future. What hurts is that he's now the leader of the Knicks and is on the verge of taking his team to the NBA Finals for the first time this decade.
What Mavs fans might roll their eyes at is the fact that Brunson has only been with New York for four seasons. Williams calling him possibly the best Knick ever will scratch some heads, considering Patrick Ewing, Carmelo Anthony, Walt Frazier, and Willis Reed have all achieved much more success with far more tenure and accomplishments.
But then again, the Knicks haven't been to the Finals since 1999, and haven't won a championship since 1973. Once a laughingstock of the NBA, the Knicks are back into serious contention after back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances.
That doesn't happen without Brunson, but it begs the question of how much the Mavs actually miss him. Kyrie Irving, one of the best ball-handlers in history, will come back from an ACL injury next season. In reality, the Mavs got Irving for Brunson, and it's not a bad outcome, but the Mavs had Brunson before his peak, and it's a similar move to the Mavs getting rid of Nash. Mark Cuban has made plenty of mistakes, and this was another one.
The Mavs could've had something special in Brunson and Doncic still together. While Cooper Flagg is about to wreck the league, the Mavs could have two guys in their prime now, and it's another story of the Mavericks losing another potential franchise player before their career took off.
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