05-04-2024, 03:01 PM
(05-04-2024, 02:11 PM)mvossman Wrote: We will never really know what Brunson's true thoughts were on this, but there is one way we could have known. If he really didn't want to be second fiddle he could have turned down the max extension the prior year. But we never offered it! That was the true failure on the FO part. What a terrible offseason that was. Our last chance with actual cap space and we decide to run it back with Timmy at 18 and leave Brunson hanging.
Its interesting to think about how many teams refused Brunson in a trade down in that draft when Mavs were trying to get Haliburton. So many teams would have been so much better off either taking the trade or taking Haliburton (including NY).
Regardless I think Brunson is better off where he is now. I don't think there is much chance folks are talking about him as potential top 10 player in NBA if he is still on Mavs. Not sure how things would have played out if that Mitchell trade happens. In my more bitter moments I kind of wish that had happened.
Mavs could have been totally right that Luka and Brunson are not a great long term fit. They are two of the highest usage players in the league, Brunson even exceeding Luka this season, if I remember correctly. Still, if their intention was to use him just as a trade piece, they failed doing that. Once they let him get to free agency (not trading him), they should have resigned him no matter what. This means handling his FA far differently than they did. Everyone would fill way better if Brunson declined a considerably higher Mavs offer to join Knicks. But offer was never there. Those are imho just lame excuses, that Brunson didn't give them a chance to make an offer. They had every possibility to do it. If no other way, than through media.