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After the Dallas Mavericks were eliminated from the playoffs in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, Mark Cuban was asked about the free agency of Jalen Brunson. Brunson emerged as a proven playoff performer, particularly in the first round against the Utah Jazz when Luka Doncic was injured.

"We can pay him more than anybody," said Cuban. "I think he wants to stay and that's most important."

Brunson will be an unrestricted free agent after the Mavericks decided not to offer him a four-year, $55.5 million extension. Brunson will certainly receive a salary far higher than that total once he reaches the open market.

The Mavericks resisted trade offers for Brunson at the deadline in hopes of keeping him long-term.

Via Marc Stein/Substack

Jabroni Lames wrote:lol. You could have signed Brunson to a 4 year / $55.5M max extension last off-season. Probably even lower than that. But the dysfunctional Cuban/Harlabob/Nelson front office didn't even tender an offer to Brunson. Now you gotta pay up. Oof!

dirkdiggler4177 wrote:

Jabroni Lames wrote:lol. You could have signed Brunson to a 4 year / $55.5M max extension last off-season. Probably even lower than that. But the dysfunctional Cuban/Harlabob/Nelson front office didn't even tender an offer to Brunson. Now you gotta pay up. Oof!

You understand that they did not make the offer because he would not have accepted. Like they talked with his agent and they said no, his value is higher. They don't give him a offer then knowing he would not accept.

Dallas could have signed Brunson to a four-year extension for as much as $55.5 million before the season, but the Mavs didn't offer it then nor did they engage in negotiations with Brunson's representatives. He was coming off a disappointing first playoff series of his career, as former Mavs coach Rick Carlisle drastically cut Brunson's minutes in the final few games of the seven-game exit against the LA Clippers.

"It sat with me all summer," Brunson said at the start of training camp.

Nor were the Mavs willing to make that commitment midseason, when Brunson had transitioned from sixth man to starter and was thriving. An extension would have handcuffed the Mavs from including Brunson if a trade for a star materialized. Dallas offered the extension immediately after the Feb. 10 trade deadline, when Mavs forward Dorian Finney-Smith signed an identical deal.

"I told him once the season is started, that's it," Rick Brunson says. "I told the Mavericks, 'Once the season is started, there's no contract talk,' and I went back against my word. In January, I thought he did enough where he deserved [the extension]. I said, 'Hey, take the money, man.' He wants security. He wants to live here. And they declined.

"He didn't turn s--- down. Y'all declined first. When y'all came back to him, we said, 'Hey, we just want to finish out the season and go from there.'"

Jabroni Lames wrote:

dirkdiggler4177 wrote:

Jabroni Lames wrote:lol. You could have signed Brunson to a 4 year / $55.5M max extension last off-season. Probably even lower than that. But the dysfunctional Cuban/Harlabob/Nelson front office didn't even tender an offer to Brunson. Now you gotta pay up. Oof!

You understand that they did not make the offer because he would not have accepted. Like they talked with his agent and they said no, his value is higher. They don't give him a offer then knowing he would not accept.

Uh, no. Brunson and his reps were open to it, and pissed off that the Mavs didn't engage in negotiations. Quotes are directly from his dad.

Dallas could have signed Brunson to a four-year extension for as much as $55.5 million before the season, but the Mavs didn't offer it then nor did they engage in negotiations with Brunson's representatives. He was coming off a disappointing first playoff series of his career, as former Mavs coach Rick Carlisle drastically cut Brunson's minutes in the final few games of the seven-game exit against the LA Clippers.

"It sat with me all summer," Brunson said at the start of training camp.

Nor were the Mavs willing to make that commitment midseason, when Brunson had transitioned from sixth man to starter and was thriving. An extension would have handcuffed the Mavs from including Brunson if a trade for a star materialized. Dallas offered the extension immediately after the Feb. 10 trade deadline, when Mavs forward Dorian Finney-Smith signed an identical deal.

"I told him once the season is started, that's it," Rick Brunson says. "I told the Mavericks, 'Once the season is started, there's no contract talk,' and I went back against my word. In January, I thought he did enough where he deserved [the extension]. I said, 'Hey, take the money, man.' He wants security. He wants to live here. And they declined.

"He didn't turn s--- down. Y'all declined first. When y'all came back to him, we said, 'Hey, we just want to finish out the season and go from there.'"

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33801390/nba-playoffs-2022-jalen-brunson-star-turn-dallas-mavericks-massive-free-agency-implications