Former Dallas Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson was one of the most coveted free agents to hit the market this summer, eventually signing with the New York Knicks.
However, Brunson may still be in Dallas if things turned out as he had expected.
Brunson was recently a guest on J.J. Redick's "The Old Man & The Three" podcast, where he expanded on the situation with the Mavericks, stating a contract offer came too late.
"I loved my time in Dallas. I wanted to be in Dallas. I thought I was going to be in Dallas for a long time," Brunson said. " I went to them before they officially offered it to me, and by the end, it was kind of too late."
After failing to come to terms with the Mavericks, Brunson agreed to a four-year, $104 million free agent deal with the Knicks.
"The business came knocking at the door, and so it was time to at least look," Brunson said. "I had to do my due diligence and look to see what was out there."
.@jalenbrunson1 opens up about leaving Dallas, an organization he thought he’d be with for a long time.
— TheOldMan&TheThree (@OldManAndThree) July 22, 2022
Watch the full episode with @jj_redick and @talter: https://t.co/9QtY3JCPjL pic.twitter.com/dj6pAx3NkH
Brunson averaged 16.3 points, 4.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds last season in 79 regular-season games for the Mavericks. In 18 playoff games, Brunson posted 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
The Mavericks selected Brunson with a second-round pick in 2019 out of Villanova.
Over four seasons in the NBA, Brunson has averaged 11.9 points, 3.7 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 277 career games in Dallas.
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