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

[DanSchwartzgan]

I personally do NOT fault the Mavs for thinking DET would not take on NYK's salaries. I would have thought the same thing 100 times out of 100 if asked beforehand. I was SHOCKED at every deal DET was willing to do with NYK. 

I also 100% agree with you that any supposed "we would have signed the extension in January" is total narrative BS from Rick Brunson. Numbers like you say were WAY higher at that point in the media.

And, once you get past the TDL, none of what DET/NY does is within the Mav’s control anyway.

If you don’t sign the extension in the summer (and I agree with Mvossman, there were valid reasons in real time to not do so), signing an extension afterwards wasn’t a real option once the $80mm number was out there.  All that is left after Dec/Jan is a trade and if you don’t do that by the TDL, then you are depending on the kindness of others who don’t have your best interest in mind.  

It was surprising that Detroit did what it did.  I wouldn’t mind Burks, Walker and a little draft capital right about now.  But, we were competitors with NY and may have competed hard for all we know.  So, it would have been bad business for them to let the opportunities they had in June pass them by and count on us to play along with their plan.

I also think equal money from Dallas doesn’t get it done (and there are valid reasons to believe $26mm per was already too much for the FO to bid).  People are mad and I get that.  “Someone should have done something” is a common refrain when bad things happen.  If I’m going to pick something to criticize, it is that they didn’t get value at the TDL.  But, you can’t make people trade with you (especially for a UFA).  And if we had traded JB then, we might not have had the joy of three rounds of playoffs.