BRUNSON BURNER: to NYK for 4yrs/$104M (no SnT) | NYK docked 2025 2nd for tampering

[DanSchwartzgan]

It’s the usual Cuban strategy, no? Tell JB to go get his best offer and we’ll match or beat it. I’m guessing 25 x 5.

I hope not.  That doesn’t feel like respect and is a stupid approach to someone who has options.  Cuban needs to pick the right number and put it on the table.

[ThisIStheYear]

No hometown discount; he's most likely closer to $25M AAV, perhaps even more; he's one of the top free agents this summer. THJ got $18.75M AAV for crying out loud. Brunson is averaging more PPG this postseason than Nash/JET ever did in a Mavs playoff run.

Elite PnR, isolation, driver/finisher, midrange game, and above average 3PT shooter with secondary playmaking chops, who is in the midst of a big, breakthrough playoff performance at age 25. Brunson is getting PAID.

https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/statu...7663840257

https://twitter.com/NBA_University/statu...5946985473

Yep. Throw in inflation and Brunson is definitely going over $25 million. He’s good.  Built like a tank. I’ve got no problem with that. But, he’s a third option, not a two.

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No hometown discount; he's most likely closer to $25M AAV, perhaps even more; he's one of the top free agents this summer. THJ got $18.75M AAV for crying out loud. Brunson is averaging more PPG this postseason than Nash/JET ever did in a Mavs playoff run.

Elite PnR, isolation, driver/finisher, midrange game, and above average 3PT shooter with secondary playmaking chops, who is in the midst of a big, breakthrough playoff performance at age 25. Brunson is getting PAID.

https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/statu...7663840257

https://twitter.com/NBA_University/statu...5946985473

Yep. Throw in inflation and Brunson is definitely going over $25 million. He’s good.  Built like a tank. I’ve got no problem with that. But, he’s a third option, not a two.

[F Gump]

If the Mavs don't sign Brunson, it doesn't give them a path to an alternate player. There is no salary slot, where they can decline to give it to JB, take the same money, and use it on someone else.

Instead, their starting point to build for the future is either the 14 players PLUS Brunson, or just the 14 players. And Cuban's willingness (or lack of same) to spend is all that it takes to keep him. Cuban talks a good game about his willingness to spend, and there's no longer an excuse that the team isn't good enough to spend the extra to shoot for the top.

Now the rubber meets the road. They are much better with Brunson, so it should be an easy call. We'll see.

[Kammrath]

https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1530264918972407809

[ItsGoTime]

It’s always been the thought of, it’s a 2-way street that creeps up. Some may not think that thought holds much weight, but to me, all it takes is a really good pitch and we lose JB for either nothing, or pennies on the dollar. There are some really good salesmen out there.

[KillerLeft]

It’s always been the thought of, it’s a 2-way street that creeps up. Some may not think that thought holds much weight, but to me, all it takes is a really good pitch and we lose JB for either nothing, or pennies on the dollar. There are some really good salesmen out there.

Oh, for sure. He’s going to be one of the most coveted free agents out there this summer, so they’ll have some serious competition for him, no doubt. It’s definitely something they need to take seriously. 

At the same time, if they can’t hold onto a guy they drafted after a season that ends in the Western Conference finals, they have huge, huge problems on the horizon.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

If the Mavs don't sign Brunson, it doesn't give them a path to an alternate player. There is no salary slot, where they can decline to give it to JB, take the same money, and use it on someone else.

Instead, their starting point to build for the future is either the 14 players PLUS Brunson, or just the 14 players. And Cuban's willingness (or lack of same) to spend is all that it takes to keep him. Cuban talks a good game about his willingness to spend, and there's no longer an excuse that the team isn't good enough to spend the extra to shoot for the top.

Now the rubber meets the road. They are much better with Brunson, so it should be an easy call. We'll see.

And there's the conundrum. They're better with him, but he doesn't put them over the top. They need a difference maker.

[F Gump]

And there's the conundrum. They're better with him, but he doesn't put them over the top. They need a difference maker.

Luka is the Mavs' difference maker (which I take to mean a player who is a great talent, and who also makes everyone around him better and is able to carry the load).*

None of the others in this league are available, and there are only a few in existence. So instead of waiting for one, just gotta find a way to put as much talent as possible around Luka.


[*But in light of what JB showed vs Utah, he might be closer to a difference-maker than we think.]

[Scott41theMavs]

I think that it's clear that the Mavs' roster situation is way too messy for them to address all of their roster woes in one offseason. However, losing Brunson for nothing would be a great way to compound them into a situation far worse than they had prior to last offseason. 

Five years, $125 mil is his likely price at this point. If they can get him for something like five years, $110 mil, that would be excellent.

Is he worth that former price tag? Probably not. The Luka/Brunson backcourt is a defensive problem in the playoffs. I'm of the opinion that he's not a long-term answer here, but you wrap him up this summer, say many, many Hail Mary's that he can live up to that contract enough for him to be a positive value, see if the Luka/JB combo meshes into better offensive chemistry (as opposed to just "taking turns") next year, and trade him for better-fitting pieces the following summer if not.

[cow]

Is he worth that former price tag? Probably not. 

It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation with JB but even if he's overpaid, he'll not be an albatross of a contract unless something health related happens.  If you don't manage to sign him, you'd be really close to a rebuild situation except Luka's too good to ever let the team be bad enough to get can't miss draft propsects.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Luka is the Mavs' difference maker (which I take to mean a player who is a great talent, and who also makes everyone around him better and is able to carry the load).*

None of the others in this league are available, and there are only a few in existence. So instead of waiting for one, just gotta find a way to put as much talent as possible around Luka.


[*But in light of what JB showed vs Utah, he might be closer to a difference-maker than we think.]

He's tough as nails, and I love his game. But his size is still a detriment. If they can get a big wing in the mold of Tatum, Brown, or PG ( I know it's damn near impossible) they'd be better off.

[JamesConway912]

https://twitter.com/kevingraysports/stat...60674?s=21&t=DqOiXRCEqRS3U9LUhIaqBA

[Kammrath]

5 yrs/$125M for JB would be solid IMO.

[loki]

I'd hope for something lower than 25 per if they're giving the 5th year.

[Kammrath]

I'd hope for something lower than 25 per if they're giving the 5th year.

My HOPE is 5 yrs/$100-110M.

But $125M doesn't phase me.

[loki]

My HOPE is 5 yrs/$100-110M.

But $125M doesn't phase me.

It definitely phases me. Maybe I'm still salty that they passed on an extension. But I get that they don't have a choice other than to re-sign him. I just don't want them to bid against themselves.

[MaxiThreeba]

It definitely phases me. Maybe I'm still salty that they passed on an extension. But I get that they don't have a choice other than to re-sign him. I just don't want them to bid against themselves.

I'm definitely gagging on the numbers a bit because I am 100% still salty they didn't extend him.  He would now be one of the best value contracts in the NBA and a massive trade piece if/when they felt there was an opportunity.

They didn't extend.  I have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.  

It was a miss by the FO, but it's over and done with.  I have to remind myself of this and accept that he is going to get "overpaid" but they absolutely need to keep him here because it's hard to imagine any SnT that makes sense with the BYC in play.

[Scott41theMavs]

I'm definitely gagging on the numbers a bit because I am 100% still salty they didn't extend him.  He would now be one of the best value contracts in the NBA and a massive trade piece if/when they felt there was an opportunity.

They didn't extend.  I have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.  

It was a miss by the FO, but it's over and done with.  I have to remind myself of this and accept that he is going to get "overpaid" but they absolutely need to keep him here because it's hard to imagine any SnT that makes sense with the BYC in play.

The two of you are missing out on the reality that he had likely already priced out in his own mind at the time the extension was a possibility. If you want to be salty about something, be salty that Brunson wasn't a chump sucker who was born yesterday, which he would have had to be in order to take that piddly extension.

[loki]

The two of you are missing out on the reality that he had likely already priced out in his own mind at the time the extension was a possibility. If you want to be salty about something, be salty that Brunson wasn't a chump sucker who was born yesterday, which he would have had to be in order to take that piddly extension.

It was a possibility before the season started. There's no way to know for sure what number was in Brunson's head, but I have a hard time imagining he would have turned it down then. Even as late as January (after he had established himself as a clear-cut starter) his dad was urging him to extend. Dallas didn't offer it, preferring to keep their trade options open. In my opinion, that was incredibly dumb both in hindsight and at the time. No team was trading a star for half a year of Brunson. Even most on this site understood that was the case.

[Jmaciscool]

It was a possibility before the season started. There's no way to know for sure what number was in Brunson's head, but I have a hard time imagining he would have turned it down then. Even as late as January (after he had established himself as a clear-cut starter) his dad was urging him to extend. Dallas didn't offer it, preferring to keep their trade options open. In my opinion, that was incredibly dumb both in hindsight and at the time. No team was trading a star for half a year of Brunson. Even most on this site understood that was the case.

I may be misremembering, but I thought there was a max they could offer using an extension and brunson would be able to make way more on the open market (even before his playoff surge).

I think the real mistake was giving him a contract without the usual option that would allow him to be a RFA this season instead of a UFA.

At least, that's what my (often faulty) memory is telling me.