New York Knicks player Jalen Brunson revealed that the Dallas Mavericks twice turned down a four-year, $55 million contract extension offer, despite his indicated wish to stay with the organization.
“I really did want to stay in Dallas,” Brunson stated in the “All The Smoke” interview.
The chance for a contract extension surfaced during the 2021 offseason and lasted throughout the 2021-22 season, Brunson’s fourth with the Mavericks.
According to Brunson, he expressed his desire to sign the deal on two occasions: before the season began and during the first half of the regular season. However, both times, the Mavericks apparently rejected to submit the offer.
“I wanted to stay there because I thought I would be there for a long time, and I liked my role there,” Brunson said Jackson and Barnes. Despite suggestions from his agency to consider other possibilities, Brunson chose security, adding, “I’m not trying to gamble right now.”
However, the Mavericks underlined the need to examine the issue, noting, “‘We want to see where we’re at by like 20, 25 games into the season,'” Brunson remembered. When the agreed-upon mark did not present the deal, he chose to postpone contract negotiations until the end of the season.
As the trade deadline approached, Brunson feared he was about to be traded. Surprisingly, Dallas did not move him, but after the deadline, they extended his four-year, $55 million contract. Unfortunately, by this point, Brunson felt he had outgrown the planned contract, so he declined the offer.
In July, the New York Knicks signed Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract, which is now considered a steal. Rick, who was appointed as an assistant coach by the Knicks the previous month, and agent Leon Rose, the Knicks’ president and Brunson’s godfather, have relationships that stretch back to Rick’s playing days.
During the interview, Brunson, who is now a star player for the Knicks, affirmed his decision, describing it as the “best move.”
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