01-29-2022, 12:02 AM
(01-28-2022, 11:31 PM)Arioch Wrote: Curious where you saw that in the interview? It read to me like 'free agency 101' (as performed by a competent speaker)--nothing to close any doors, nothing to make anyone feel secure enough to lowball me, no giving away your hand before the negotiations start.
I mean there wasn't anything explicit and me just interpreting his tone/general phrasing. I could (most likely) be wrong.
The way he phrased his answer where he was non-committal about the Mavs franchise as a whole and put all the onus on his teammates. Which isn't bad. But if he wanted to he could've been a bit more positive about being with the Mavs long term.
Of course, this could be a valid negotiation tactic. It probably is. But to me if the Mavs do keep Brunson past the deadline, they better be ready to pay him whatever he wants, because the alternative leaves the Mavs with no assets and no avenue to improving. That scenario scares me so much so that I'd rather turn Jalen into 1-2 startable players NOW than take that risk. Especially because I'm dubious of how he'll perform in the playoffs against teams like the Jazz, Warriors, and Suns. 2 of which the Mavs have to get past to make a deep run.
14x All-Star, 12x all-NBA, 1x MVP, 1x Finals MVP, 1 NBA Championship: Dirk Nowitzki, the man, the myth, the legend.