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

[mvossman]

I think this is all fair.  The Detroit miscalculation is certainly an area of potential criticism.  The other thing I’d add is as early as December, I found reports that Jalen’s number was $80mm over 4 years.  If that was already the number in December, was there ever really a chance he would take $55mm once that was out there. 

I just don’t see it.  I do see an (the potential for an ) emotional response to not even being asked and an even more emotional response to (being shopped as) the reason why.  But, (to me it) was not likely to take the $55mm at any point past the summer of 21.  (Now I do see not offering last summer as) another potential area of criticism.  Even as a really good backup (which is what he was at the time), $13.7mm as an average doesn’t seem unreasonable.  But, as you say, none of us have any idea whether JB would have accepted even that (summer) offer.

There was also speculation that he would not have taken the max extension last summer.  The thought being that he wanted to go to a team where he could run the offense instead of being stuck behind Luka.  You can also make the argument that 14 mil a year is steep for an undersized backup shooting guard that withered in the playoffs (which was the thought of many on this board at the time)