Trade Deadline Report: Do Mavs Believe Jalen Brunson Wants to Stay in Dallas?

With the trade deadline looming, the Dallas Mavericks franchise continues to be a part of the noise. Point guard Jalen Brunson has come up quite a bit. Would the Dallas Mavericks trade its blossoming young player?

Following the disappointing loss to the Orlando Magic on Sunday evening, the Dallas Mavericks seem to need a jolt with their roster. One of the prominent names in trade rumors is Jalen Brunson. Considering his contract and looming free agency, what is the cost of the much-improved point guard?

Allegedly, the New York Knicks have considerable interest in Brunson, and it's rumored that the Mavs' 2023 draft pick could be in play New York is to acquire his services. Would Dallas really trade arguably its second-best player to receive a pick back that they traded to obtain Kristaps Porzingis three years ago?

According to reporter Marc Stein, Dallas has no plans of trading Brunson. 

"The Mavericks regard Brunson as too vital to this season's aspirations to trade him and retain the belief that he wants to be a Maverick long-term," Stein reported in his recent newsletter. 

Without doubting Stein's report, it's at least worth considering that the Mavericks' front office could be posturing for a better return for Brunson. As we wrote earlier today, the current offers for Brunson probably aren't very enticing given how low of a salary he's currently under. Perhaps Dallas could take advantage of the Knicks' unwavering interest in Brunson, though. Why stop at only the 2023 first-round pick?

General manager Nico Harrison must move with caution, as moving Brunson could mean Dallas taking a step back if he fails to obtain the right players in return. However, re-signing Brunson long-term will only improve the chances of winning, either by in-house development or the ability to trade Brunson's contract for another relevant player. If the Mavs keep Brunson, though, they need to be pretty sure that they'll be able to retain him in the summer. Stein also reported that Brunson will be seeking a new contract in the $18 million per year range, which should be very doable for Dallas.

Follow DallasBasketball.com for more trade rumors and everything else Mavs-related as the February 10 trade deadline nears.