Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Reportedly “Laughed Off” Mavs’ $55 Million Extension Offer in 2022

Jalen Brunson spent four years with the Dallas Mavericks.

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Reportedly “Laughed Off” Mavs’ $55 Million Extension Offer in 2022

Jalen Brunson (Image credits - Firstsportz)

The Dallas Mavericks must be kicking themselves for letting Jalen Brunson leave as a free agent in 2022. Brunson went on to sign for the New York Knicks as a free agent and has emerged as one of the best players in the league today.

After winning the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, the Knicks guard has shown no signs of slowing down in his first-ever NBA Finals. He is coming off another impressive performance in Game 2, where he recorded 20 points, five rebounds, six assists, and five steals as the Knicks won 105-104 against the San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center.

It was recently revealed that the Mavs offered Brunson a four-year, $55M extension offer in 2022. The offer seemed to have surprised the player and his camp.

The Brunson camp basically laughed at them and said, ‘Uh, we’ll take our chances in free agency now, you guys had your chance.’… The Mavs still had the option at that point of picking up the phone and saying, ‘Jalen, we completely screwed this up, we are deeply sorry, we’ve disrespected you, we want to make this right, we’re going to offer you 150 over five.

Marc Stein on All NBA Podcast

After declining the Mavs’ offer, Jalen Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the New York Knicks. The 29-year-old has become a huge fan favorite in New York.

Meanwhile, the Mavs find themselves in a difficult position after trading away Luka Doncic at the trade deadline last year. The Mavs missed the playoffs this year after finishing in 12th place in the Western Conference standings.

RELATED
Timothée Chalamet’s Knicks Fan Confession Sparks Social Media Frenzy

Jalen Brunson admits Luka Doncic made him question himself with Mavs

While Jalen Brunson has amazed the Knicks fans with his offensive arsenal, he has also emerged as the leader of the locker room. Since joining the Knicks in 2022, Brunson has shown steady growth with every passing year.

Brunson is a player with a high level of confidence. However, he was drafted as a second-round pick by the Mavs. After joining the Mavs, Brunson admitted that watching Luka Doncic play forced him to re-evaluate his approach.

The only time is probably my rookie year. Coming into my rookie season and laying pickup with the team in Dallas and then obviously watching Luka doing his thing so effortlessly. That was probably the only time, and it made me kind of question myself to see how hard I actually had to work to be in the position that I wanted to be.

Jalen Brunson in his press conference

There was no doubt that Doncic was a special talent. The Mavs acquired the Slovenian in the same draft class as Brunson, and it was immediately obvious that Doncic was a special talent. However, it looks like Brunson may win his first championship before his former teammate.

Jalen Brunson is two wins away from his first NBA championship

The Knicks are red hot at the moment. It feels like a lifetime since they last lost a game during these playoffs. They have been the best team on both ends of the court in the postseason and have showcased it in the first two games of the NBA Finals.

When the Knicks were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, many have questioned whether Jalen Brunson is the right player to lead the Knicks to a championship. And the three-time All-Star has surprised all his doubters with his performances this year.

Spurs have to decide how to tackle Jalen Brunson
Jalen Brunson (Image via Bet MGM/X)

After winning the last three games against the Atlanta Hawks, the Knicks clean swept the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers in the next two rounds. They have also won the first two games on the road against the Spurs and are just two wins away from lifting their first championship in 53 years.

There is a lot of excitement surrounding Games 3 and 4 as the NBA Finals shift to Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are on a roll as they are currently on a 13-match winning streak. It looks like Brunson is well on his way to cementing himself as one of the greatest Knicks players of all time.

Also Read: