New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson returned to the lineup on November 19 after missing two games with a Grade 1 ankle sprain. The reigning Clutch Player of the Year erupted for a game-high 28 points against the Dallas Mavericks, with whom he spent his first four NBA seasons.
Though Brunson didn’t comment on whether playing his former team was extra motivation for him, his explosive return and win over Dallas was a staunch reminder of one of ex-Mavs general manager Nico Harrison’s biggest career whiffs.
Before the infamous decision to trade franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, Harrison failed to retain another MVP-caliber guard in Dallas. During the 2022 offseason, Harrison was unable to reach an extension with Brunson, who then signed a lucrative four-year contract with the Knicks.
Brunson established himself as a reliable second option for Dallas behind All-NBA guard Dončić, his fellow 2018 draftee, after joining the starting lineup on a full-time basis midway through the 2021 season. The 6-foot-1 southpaw helped lift the Mavericks to the Western Conference finals for the first time in 11 years, averaging 21.6 points per game during the playoffs.
He exploded for 41- and 31-point performances in first-round victories over the Utah Jazz while Dončić was sidelined by a strained calf, proving capable of fueling an offense as the primary playmaker.
Despite this, Harrison lowballed and eventually lost out on Brunson, who has since developed into an elite scorer in the Big Apple.
Nico Harrison Failed to Realize Jalen Brunson’s Star Potential
GettyJalen Brunson as a Maverick
While the Dončić trade is deemed responsible for the eventual downfall of the Mavericks, letting Brunson walk in free agency was arguably just as detrimental for the franchise.
Brunson is a bona fide bucket that could still be providing a scoring punch for a Mavericks team that desperately needs it. During his four seasons in Dallas, Brunson’s points per game total increased each year. The All-Star guard averaged 17.3 point and 3 assists through 25 playoff games with the Mavericks. Still, he was undervalued in Dallas, largely by Harrison, who refused to offer him a worthwhile contract, and his absence looms large in Texas.
The decision to let him leave town was not received well by fans and has only looked worse with time, as Brunson evolved into an MVP-caliber player. Plus, after his near 30-point outpour Wednesday night and victory over the struggling Mavericks, Brunson’s Dallas departure cuts even deeper.
Mavericks Losing Jalen Brunson Was a Result of a Power Struggle
GettyNico Harrison and Jason Kidd
The split between Brunson and Dallas may not have been entirely on Harrison, though, as ESPN insider Tim MacMahon recently wrote about the power struggle between Harrison and Mark Cuban.
“Harrison blamed Cuban for what he believed were the Mavs’ biggest personnel mistakes during his tenure, which came in summer 2022: allowing Jalen Brunson to get away in free agency and trading for Christian Wood, a player Kidd didn’t want to coach and resented having on the roster,” MacMahon wrote. “Several members of the coaching staff and front office also faulted Cuban for those moves.”
Regardless of which Mavericks front office member was responsible for Brunson leaving town, the blame ultimately falls on Harrison, who, as the general manager, was responsible for roster acquisitions and contract negotiations.
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