New Book Details Jalen Brunson's Move to Knicks

A new book detailing Luka Doncic's career will have sections dedicated to Jalen Brunson's move to the New York Knicks.

Dec 23, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson (13) dribbles during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Dallas Mavericks management may not have many fans in North Texas these days but it's bound to find sanctuary among New York Knicks fans.

The fall of the Mavericks franchise has been one of the defining storylines of the 2024-25 NBA season: having repped the Western Conference in last year's NBA Finals, the Mavericks (34-37) are in danger of missing the postseason entirely thanks in part to the controversial trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Knicks fans, of course, point to their team's signing of former Mavericks star Jalen Brunson as the starting point. A new book centered on Doncic, entitled "The Wonder Boy: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness," has a chapter centered on Brunson's departure in the summer of 2022. Author Tim McMahon released part of the Brunson sections on ESPN.com on Monday.

Dec 3, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

"Brunson was happy to be Dončić's sidekick, a role he had to patiently earn over the years as the Mavs acquired other guards, such as Seth Curry, [current Knick] Delon Wright, Josh Richardson, and Trey Burke, who cut into his minutes," McMahon wrote in part. "The Mavs had a two-pronged challenge in their search for a co-star to complement Dončić. They had depleted their trade assets with the Kristaps Porziņģis trade that had yet to be paid off, and Dončić was so ball dominant that some proven stars wouldn't want to play with him. But maybe the Mavs already had a suitable co-star in the low-maintenance Brunson, who didn't mind operating in Dončić's shadow."

By now, everyone knows the story of Brunson's divorce from Dallas: playing on a de facto lame duck contract after the Mavericks failed to extend his rookie contract during the 2021-22 season, Brunson became one of the most sought-after free agent after taking over the Dallas roster at the onset of a Western Conference Finals run while Doncic recovered from an injury.

Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks at the onset of 2022's free agency frenzy in the aftermath. While some viewed it as an overpay at the time, Brunson has turned it into a bargain with each passing day, turning himself into a top option, perennial All-Star, and the Knicks' captain.

Brunson's breakout has hounded the Mavs ever since, even as they made last year's Finals run. Part-owner Mark Cuban notably blamed the departure on New York hiring Brunson's father Rick as an assistant coach, leading to an investigation where the cooperating Knicks were eventually charged with a second-round pick for tampering.

McMahon's book goes deeper into the ultimately futile Brunson process, which appeared to be doomed from the start. Before the 2021-22 season ever tipped off, Brunson (fresh off a fourth-place finish in the Sixth Man of the Year vote in his third NBA season) was eligible for a four-year, $55.5 million extension and he was said to be willing to ink a long-term stay in North Texas. But, in a development that, in Rick's words "f***ed [Rick's] whole vacation," that offer never came.

Despite stating that they wouldn't negotiate during the season, the Brunsons re-opened discussions in January after Jalen got off to a then-career-best start.

Speculation about Brunson joining the Knicks, whose lead decisionmaker was his godfather, Rick's former agent, and team president Leon Rose, had already begun well enough for general manager Nico Harrison to text Cuban that "this New York thing is too tied to his family to overcome." Even so, the Mavericks made no move beyond offering the original extension, which Rick "laughed" at.

Ironically enough, a former Knicks may have played an indirect role in Dallas' inactivty: McMahon said that the Mavericks could've opened up cap space and financial freedom by trading Tim Hardaway Jr., who had been sent southwest in the infamous Kristaps Porzingis trade in 2019. But Hardaway stayed, continuing the lame duck process.

Once the season ended, the Brunsons didn't waste much time making tracks for New York: Rick was hired to be an assistant coach while Jalen signed his deal after hearing "crickets" from the Mavericks, who had scheduled a meeting that involved Cuban, Harrison, and several of the younger Brunson's teammates but called it off once the Knick affair gained lasting momentum.

Feb 8, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and guard Jalen Brunson (13) talk with NBA referee Jacyn Goble (68) during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"Personally, deep down in my gut, I was like, 'Man, I'm out of here [in Dallas],'" Rick Brunson told McMahone. "But I knew I had to convince him that, 'Yo, you're better than this. You can have your own team.' "But I tell you this, this is a conversation we had: if Dallas offers the same money or more, I don't know if he leaves. Come with the money. Make it hard! You didn't. You made it easy."

McMahon's book, published by Grand Central Publishing, was released on March 18 and also features a behind-the-scenes look at another Knicks-based transaction, namely the aforementioned Porzingis deal that failed to generate any significant Dallas dividends. Others topics include the run to the 2024 Finals, the acquisition of Kyrie Irving, and the departures of general manager Donnie Nelson and head coach Rick Carlisle, whose respective roles were filled by Harrison and Jason Kidd.

Ironically enough, the Brunson-less, Doncic-less Mavericks will be at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday for an interconference tilt (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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