HALLELUKA: Luka Clinches All-NBA 1st team. 4th in 5 years

[F Gump]

Nope, this is not factual. Just your speculation. You might be right, and the opposite is speculation, too, but it's disingenuous to state it factually like this.

So true. Thank you.

We can't know what (if anything) would have changed the outcome. As you note, it's disingenuous to say how Brunson would have proceeded, if a much more aggressive financial offer had come from the Mavs. Anyone saying they KNOW is just pretending they know more than they do.

I do recall reports early in the off-season that the Mavs had put $80M-$90M on the table, and at that point they were confident they had Brunson wrapped up. Obviously NY came over the top with numbers that blew that offer out of the water - and there's plenty of indication that the Mavs didn't reciprocate. We don't know, of course - but the PUBLIC posture is that they were waiting and assuming they had a last in-person chance to negotiate, and then didn't get it.

The Mavs' whine that Brunson didn't meet with them again, doesn't mean he wasn't open to a much bigger offer yet. No one on the Mavs has said they ever offered him as much or more than NY did. And if they wanted to offer more, yet couldn't figure out a way to get such a number to him without him having to come see them to get it, then (a) shame on them for being such dolts, where they can't even figure out how to make an offer (and they need a new FO that's competent), but (b) I don't really believe that spin by the Mavs anyhow.