DHJ Quick Take: Jalen Brunson’s Finals Run Is a Painful Reminder for the Mavericks
With Jalen Brunson leading the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals, Dallas is left reflecting on losing two All-NBA guards in Brunson and Luka Dončić for little return, and on the lesson of facing a new front office.
- Why does Brunson’s Finals run sting? Dallas let him leave in 2022 after a 16.3-point, 4.8-assist season, and he has since become a franchise centerpiece in New York.
- How did Dallas lose Luka Dončić? Nico Harrison traded him to the Lakers in 2025 for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick, and Davis has since been dealt to Washington.
- Who runs the Mavericks now? Masai Ujiri leads basketball operations after Harrison’s firing, with Cooper Flagg as the foundation.
- What is the takeaway? The new regime must evaluate talent more thoroughly than the front office that let two All-NBA guards go.
The NBA Finals can be painful for fanbases whose teams are not participating. This year’s festivities could be difficult for Dallas Mavericks fans to watch.
Jalen Brunson. Who knew? When he was a Maverick, he was solid. In Brunson’s last campaign with the squad, he averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists per game. That was enough to earn him a four-year, $104 million offer from the New York Knicks.
The Mavericks let him walk. At the time, it was a defensible decision. The Mavs needed to save money to put more complementary pieces around Luka Dončić.
About that…
The Dallas Mavericks Lost Two Star Guards For A Meager Return
For a while, it felt like the plan worked. The 2023-24 Mavericks advanced to the NBA Finals. With Dončić flanked by Kyrie Irving and a deep cast of role players, it seemed like the front office’s ideas about roster construction had ultimately been validated.
Then, inexplicably, they traded Dončić anyway.
In return, they received Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick from the Lakers. Davis is now a Wizard. We will see where the pick conveys, but it would take a miracle to make it worth the Dončić trade.
At least they got something for Dončić. Brunson left as a free agent. For those keeping score, that’s two All-NBA guards whom the Mavericks lost in the last half-decade with precious little to show for it. No wonder there’s a new regime in charge:
Here’s hoping they learn from the mistakes of the last one.
The Dallas Mavericks Front Office Must Evaluate Talent Properly
For most fans, the idea that the Mavericks would ever move Cooper Flagg likely feels outrageous. If you’re a traumatized Mavs fan, you can only hope it doesn’t happen.
Luckily, there’s no logical reason to worry. Masai Ujiri is not Nico Harrison. If anything, Ujiri developed a reputation for being too unwilling to move his players during his tenure with the Toronto Raptors.
Harrison’s decision to move Dončić was patently absurd. It shocked the world. Arguably, there’s little to learn from it: Just don’t do anything that you’d have to be borderline insane to do.
There’s more of a lesson in the Brunson fiasco. Before moving a player, be sure you’ve evaluated them thoroughly. Make sure you’ve explored their potential before deciding you don’t need them.
Some will even call that unfair. They’ll argue that Brunson’s outlier development can’t be banked on. That’s a valid position too.
Still, what’s happened with the Mavericks in recent years is unacceptable. You simply cannot roster two All-NBA guards, only to lose each for such a marginal return. Whichever lesson you prefer, the new Mavericks regime cannot let something like that happen again:
It’s no way to get into the NBA Finals.
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