Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, recently held a press conference in which he expressed his disappointment over Jalen Brunson departure from the team. Brunson, a former point guard for the Mavericks, signed a four-year contract with the New York Knicks during last year’s free-agency period. Cuban blamed Brunson’s father, Rick, for the decision, stating that “where it went south was when Rick took over, when the parent took over, or parents took over.”
Cuban also refuted claims that Brunson was willing to sign a four-year, $56 million extension with the Mavericks last year. However, Brunson and his father have both previously stated that the point guard seriously considered signing that deal with the team. Cuban even shared texts from Mavericks GM Nico Harrison and Brunson’s agent, Aaron Mintz, with reporters to support his claims.
The Mavericks were not given the opportunity to negotiate with Brunson before he signed with the Knicks in free agency. Cuban stated that they did not know what the bid was and were not given a number. The NBA conducted a tampering investigation that resulted in the Knicks’ forfeiture of a second-round draft pick in 2025.
Cuban admitted that the Mavericks attempted to fill their void at point guard by trading for Irving, but the move hasn’t provided much of an on-court boost for the team. However, Cuban expressed his desire to keep Irving in Dallas going forward, saying “I’d love to have him stay for sure, and I think we have a good shot. I think he’s happy here. He tells me he’s happy here, and I get along great with him. I think he’s a good guy.”
After Wednesday’s win over the Sacramento Kings, the Mavericks improved their record to 38-42, but their odds of qualifying for the play-in tournament are slim.
Cuban hopes that the team can improve in the future, but lamented the missed opportunity to re-sign Brunson, stating that “I mean, there was no negotiation. They didn’t give us a number. You would think that when you’re the incumbent team and you can match anything, that’s the way it works, right? You have a relationship with the agent, and they want [to] at least give you a chance because you helped develop the player. You had him for four years. OK, let’s work together.”
Fans of the Mavericks and basketball enthusiasts will have to stay tuned to see how the team moves forward without Brunson and if they can continue to build upon their successes from last year.
https://youtu.be/QPKx_Y62OpY
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Named Finalist for NBA Sportsmanship Award Alongside Five Other Players
The NBA has announced the six finalists for the annual Sportsmanship Award, which recognizes the player who best embodies sportsmanship, ethical behavior, fair play, and integrity on the court.
Among the finalists are Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings, Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies, Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boban Marjonovic of the Houston Rockets.
Nominees were selected by each team, with one player from each division ultimately being chosen by a panel.
The winner of the award will be decided by a vote cast by players in the league after the regular season ends, with the announcement typically made in late April. Brunson, who narrowly missed out on his first All-Star selection earlier this year, would become the second player in Knicks history to win the award, following Jason Kidd’s victory in 2012-13.
While a victory in the Sportsmanship Award would not carry the same weight as other accolades, it would still be a noteworthy accomplishment for Brunson.
