Luka Doncic doesn't look like he wants to get off the ground he's lying on next to Nikola Jokic. SO Jalen Brunson grab it and lift him up to take a photo together. The scene takes place last weekend, during the All-Star Game, during which the two men played against each other.
The Slovenian is now a regular at the meeting when his former teammate in Dallas honored his first selection. We will never know if the Knicks playmaker would have become an All-Star by staying in Texas. What we do know, however, is that the person concerned wanted to stay there.
“ There was a chance. I really wanted to stay in Dallas. Before my fourth season in Dallas, we tried to extend the contract “, remembers Jalen Brunson on the microphone of Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. Ahead of this 2021/2022 season, he was eligible for a $55 million extension over four seasons. He assures us that he wanted this extension and that he was not thinking of looking elsewhere.
The Mavs still want to “see”
“ I told myself I would be here for a long time. I loved my role. It's funny because my agent told me, 'You can do so much, you can get more.' I just wanted to be safe. I'm not trying to bet », remembers the player, who nevertheless will not manage to sign this targeted extension.
For what ? Because, according to him, the Mavs wanted to see where they, including Jalen Brunson, would be next. 20-25 matches » during that season. So the left-hander tries not to think about it too much, to concentrate on the game. And when Luka Doncic is injured around the 25th match of the season, he takes over: “ I started to be a starter. I played very well, I think I averaged 20 points and 6 assists. […] I was like, 'Hey, if the deal happens, I'm going to sign it right away.' And it was no. It wasn't a definite no, but it was like, 'We want to see, we want to see.' »
Then comes the “trade deadline”. Jalen Brunson is convinced that if the extension does not come, it means he will be traded. Ultimately no, but the player still realizes that his value is now much higher than this $55 million over four years.
Mark Cuban is nevertheless favorable
Heading for the playoffs then, which start without Luka Doncic, injured again. It's again the lieutenant's opportunity to shine. What he does, like never before: 41 points in the second game against the Jazz in the first round, then 31 in the next, and Dallas ends up passing. And even pass the next round with Jalen Brunson averaging nearly 22 points over the entire campaign.
“ We lost in the conference finals, and I remember seeing something on Twitter after the game, and it was Mark (Cuban) who said: 'We can pay him more than everyone else'. He said that in an interview, literally, right after the game. I was like, 'Okay, okay.' After that, silence. From my point of view, I can't speak for others, it was silence », Continues the All-Star.
The Knicks decide to speak. And what was not one initially becomes a winning bet: he joins New York for an offer almost twice as high, at $104 million over four years. “ We didn't really have a chance to make him an offer. », assured Mark Cuban, convinced that New York, which had hired Jalen Brunson's father as an assistant, had completed the arrival of the leader during the season…
| Jalen Brunson | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2018-19 | DAL | 73 | 22 | 46.7 | 34.8 | 72.5 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 9.3 |
| 2019-20 | DAL | 57 | 18 | 46.6 | 35.8 | 81.3 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 8.2 |
| 2020-21 | DAL | 68 | 25 | 52.3 | 40.5 | 79.5 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 12.6 |
| 2021-22 | DAL | 79 | 32 | 50.2 | 37.3 | 84.0 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 16.3 |
| 2022-23 | NYK | 68 | 35 | 49.1 | 41.6 | 82.9 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 6.2 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 24.0 |
| 2023-24 | NYK | 52 | 36 | 48.3 | 41.1 | 83.5 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 6.5 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 27.6 |
| Total | 397 | 28 | 49.1 | 39.2 | 81.8 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 16.0 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
