Mavs Ex Jalen Brunson: Goodbye to Dallas (and To Cowboys Fans)

The Mavericks had initially hoped a five-year, $106 million contract offer would be enough to secure Brunson's signature. But instead, he's heading home.

DALLAS - Suddenly-former Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson has always had fun with the fact that he was a much-liked player in Cowboys Country - even though he's an East Coast guy who played at Villanova and loves his Philadelphia Eagles.

So it is that fun-loving spirit that he says goodbye to DFW - having agreed to his new deal with the New York Knicks - that he makes sure he mentions the Cowboys amid his other heart-felt thoughts.

"Even if most of you are Cowboys fans,'' he wrote on social media, "you guys accepted an Eagles fan without hesitation.”

Jalen Brunson says goodbye to Dallas pic.twitter.com/hZJDKSnWZi

— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) July 2, 2022

Brunson on Thursday agreed to a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks shortly after NBA free agency began. There was a bit of a dog-and-pony show with the Knicks announcing that they were “meeting” with the player … but that smelled mostly like a reaction to the Mavericks’ gripes about “tampering.”

The Mavs were set to meet with Brunson at one point, but that meeting was called off after Dallas realized it was going to be a waste of time. Now the Mavs are left scrambling. (Kyrie Irving, anybody?)

After pulling off a career-best year with averages of 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, Brunson followed it with postseason heroics. With Luka Doncic sidelined for the first three games of the Mavericks' first-round series against the Utah Jazz, Brunson averaged 32.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists.

Brunson's perceived value soared after leading the Mavericks to a 2-1 record to begin their series against the Jazz without Doncic. He continued to make a significant impact with averages of 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 18 playoff games as the Mavericks made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

The Mavericks had initially hoped a five-year, $106 million contract offer would be enough to secure Brunson's signature. Instead, Brunson is heading to his hometown ... and a little bit closer to his beloved Eagles.

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