Jalen Brunson: I can’t say anything bad about Dallas but I wish things would’ve happened differently… I wanted to be in Dallas for the long haul

Prior to the 2021-22 season, he was eligible for a four-year, $55.5 million extension. It was an offer Jalen Brunson’s camp would have accepted if the Mavericks made it, sources tell B/R. In January 2022, his representatives tried to initiate dialogue on getting a deal done, but the Mavericks resisted. Brunson began cementing himself as the second-best player on the team behind Luka Dončić. And after the February trade deadline, the team contacted Brunson about agreeing to the same four-year, $55.5 million extension Dorian Finney-Smith had just signed. At that point, it was clear that the guard’s value in free agency would be worth exponentially more if he tested the market. -via Bleacher Report / March 24, 2023

Brunson recalled how the matter played out. “There were two times that I thought we had offers on the table before the season, and then around, I think December or January, they looked the other way,” Brunson said. “They had every right in the world to do so. I don’t blame them for making any business decisions. That’s on them.” He was complimentary of his time in Dallas. -via Bleacher Report / March 24, 2023

“At the same time, I respect them,” Brunson told B/R. “They brought me into this league and jump-started my career. Business is business. My four years in Dallas were special. When I first got drafted there, I had that mindset of seeing myself being there for a very long time. My vet at the time, J.J. Barea, he taught me so much and he was there for such a long time. I wanted that role of being with the Mavericks for the long haul of my career. I truly loved that place. As I continued to get older, I got better, and I got more opportunities to showcase my game. “Both coaching staffs I had there were amazing. Jason Kidd helped unlock something in me that I didn’t think would happen that fast. I was growing as a player, but when the playoffs hit, he pushed me to a new level. It was great there. The whole organization and the city of Dallas was special to me and my family. Those four years were amazing.” -via Bleacher Report / March 24, 2023