Mark Cuban and Jalen Brunson Discuss What Went Down in 2022 FA

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Brunson made the subtle inference that Cuban crowed about having the ability to outbid anyone - but then when it came time to put up or shut up, he wouldn't even make an offer. Then and now, it's Cuban doing the totally wrong things, and then looking for excuses.

As they talk here, watch Cuban's facial expressions, his shifty eyes, and his body language through this conversation. In them, you get the cringy admissions that Cuban BADLY botched this negotiation and knows it, but he wants to find half-truths to maintain the stance that he did everything "right" and it just wasn't his fault somehow. It was Jalen, it was Jalen's dad, it wasn't being given a chance, it was all sorts of nonsense.

Except it wasn't that at all. There was a deal available. He just was too stupid to know how to make it.

He's always held himself out as a great salesman, but he's not. He's a bad negotiator. He just doesn't know how to play the game. He should have fired himself after the Nash fiasco, but his ego wouldn't let him hire someone with skills to be the GM. I'm still disappointed how he let his ego waste the last decade of Dirk's career. What if.