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

[F Gump]

Another point that I've never seen made in this whole conversation is that, in criticisms of Donnie for not making Brunson an rFA (you know, like everyone else does), would it have made any difference? Would the Knicks have been afraid that Dallas was going to match? Perhaps. It would have strengthened Dallas's negotiating position. Would the Mavs have matched the contract the Knicks gave Brunson? I think it's pretty clear they wouldn't have, given the rest of what we've seen here. My point - it was terrible GMing, but doesn't seem to have had as big of an impact as people here presume it did.

That's a really good point.

NY went to 3 yrs 80M (AAV 26.7M) w PO for yr 4. And who knows how much farther they might have gone, if they had to.

Meanwhile, the Mavs were thinking of 5 yrs 90M (AAV 18M) to 5 yrs 104M (AAV 21M). The difference to Brunson in money - and in getting to the next, perhaps even bigger deal - is quite significant.