DHJ Quick Take: Jalen Brunson Stays Measured on Mavericks Letting Him and Luka Dončić Go
Jalen Brunson offered a short, pointed response when Sports Illustrated asked whether Dallas fumbled him and Luka Dončić, declining to criticize the front office by name.
- What did Jalen Brunson say about the Mavericks losing him and Luka Dončić? He laughed and said the front office “made their decisions,” then declined to elaborate.
- Who was he referring to? Former Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, who let Brunson walk in free agency and later traded Dončić to the Lakers.
- Why does it matter? Brunson is now a champion and Finals MVP in New York while Dallas rebuilds, sharpening the cost of both departures.
- What’s next? The Mavericks move forward under Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz, building around 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg.
Jalen Brunson didn’t have much to say when Sports Illustrated raised the subject of the Dallas Mavericks letting both him and Luka Dončić get away, but the little he offered made the point. During a recent interview in which he reacted to a series of photos, Brunson was shown an image of former Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and asked whether Harrison had “fumbled” the two of them. He laughed before answering.
“Well, they made decisions,” Brunson said. “And I’ll leave it at that. They made their decisions.”
The exchange came as part of Brunson’s Sports Illustrated cover feature, where he was handed a tablet and asked to comment on photos from various points in his career. The Harrison image sat among others tracing his climb from a second-round pick to NBA Finals MVP.
Jalen Brunson and Luka Dončić Once Carried Dallas to the Western Conference Finals
Brunson and Dončić played four seasons together in Dallas and pushed the Mavericks to the 2022 Western Conference Finals. That summer, Brunson left in free agency and signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the New York Knicks. The two sides had failed to agree on an extension a year earlier, when Dallas balked at the deal his camp wanted, and by the time the Mavericks came around, Brunson was already on his way out.
Dončić stayed and led Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals. Then came the move that reshaped the franchise. In February 2025, Harrison traded Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, a decision that stunned the league and set off lasting backlash from the fan base.
Nico Harrison Is Gone, but the Fallout Remains
The Dončić trade eventually cost Harrison his job. Team governor Patrick Dumont fired him in November 2025 after Dallas opened the season 3-8. The Mavericks then spent months searching for new leadership before hiring Masai Ujiri as team president in May and Mike Schmitz as general manager days later.
Brunson, for his part, reached a height neither he nor Dončić found in Dallas. He led the Knicks to the 2026 NBA championship and won Finals MVP, ending a title drought in New York that dated back to 1973. Dončić remains with the Lakers, while the Mavericks rebuild around 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg.
His answer avoided naming anyone directly, but the meaning was easy enough to follow. Brunson and Dončić have both found more success away from Dallas, and the executive who let them go is no longer with the team.
More Mavericks Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- Sources: Dallas Mavericks Extend Qualifying Offer To Moussa Cissé
- Dusty May Calls Dallas Mavericks Move ‘Almost Too Big Of A Dream,’ Centers Vision On Cooper Flagg
- Sources: Dallas Mavericks Exercising Ryan Nembhard’s Team Option
- Dallas Mavericks Have Discussed A Kawhi Leonard Trade With The LA Clippers
- ‘Don’t Forget Who I Am’: Dallas Mavericks Center Dereck Lively II Won’t Rush Return From Foot Surgery
- Morez Johnson Jr. Embraces ‘Junkyard Dog’ Role With Dallas Mavericks
- Dallas Mavericks Still Working Through Sergio De Larrea’s Arrival Plan
- Dallas Mavericks Move Up, Acquire Sergio De Larrea In Draft-Night Trade With New York Knicks
- Morez Johnson Jr. ‘Insanely Shocked’ By Dusty May’s Dallas Mavericks Move
- ‘It’s Insane That I’m Actually Going To Dallas’: Morez Johnson Jr. Reacts To Mavericks Selection At No. 9
- ‘One Of The Most Fascinating Coaches’: Masai Ujiri Breaks Down Dallas Mavericks’ Dusty May Hire
