Jalen Brunson talked on the All The Smoke podcast about his efforts to signal a contract extension with the Dallas Mavericks a number of instances earlier than and even in the course of the 21-22 season.
“There was an opportunity,” stated Brunson on staying with the Mavericks. “I actually did need to keep in Dallas. I believe earlier than the season, earlier than my fourth season in Dallas, final season in Dallas, we tried to increase our contract. No matter we are able to get… essentially the most we might get was like 4 years and $55 million. Clearly, we wished to try this and I wished to remain there. I believed I would be there for a very long time and I preferred my position there.
“It is humorous, as a result of my agent was like, ‘You will get extra, you’ll be able to extra.’
“I am saying ‘Nicely, I simply need to be secure. I am not attempting to gamble proper now. This isn’t one thing you actually gamble with if it is on the market.
“However they had been like, ‘We went to see the place we’re at by like 20, 25 video games into the season.’
“However had been like, effectively, if we’re not going to do it, I sort of do not need to do it till after the season. I am not attempting to consider this in the course of the season.
“So there is a interval the place Luka [Doncic] went out and I began to begin. I used to be taking part in rather well. I believe I used to be averaging like 20 and 6 possibly. It was about that 20 to 25 mark. And so we went again, like ‘If the deal is there, we’re serious about it, like, I will do it like proper now.’
“Nonetheless, it was no. It wasn’t a tough no. It was similar to ‘We need to see, we need to see.’
“The commerce deadline comes, I am like pondering if I am not getting prolonged, I am in all probability going to get traded…
“The deal got here on the desk after the commerce deadline. I used to be like ‘No, I believe I’ve outgrown that now. Personally, that what I believed. ‘I believe I’ve outgrown that.'”
Brunson emerged into an excellent greater position when Doncic was injured at the beginning of the playoffs.
“So we lose within the Western Convention Finals, I bear in mind seeing one thing on Twitter after the sport and it was like Mark [Cuban] saying ‘Hey, we are able to pay him essentially the most cash.’
“So, he says that within the interview. Actually proper after the sport.
“I am pondering, like, I am okay. I simply.. After that, it was crickets. From my perspective, I can not communicate to anybody else, and my brokers, from my perspective it was crickets.”
Brunson went on to signal with the New York Knicks on a four-year, $104 million deal.
