FA: JaVale McGee 3yrs/$17.2M to DAL | will indeed start at center

[SleepingHero]

The pathetic part is how predictable this fanbase is. Brunson leaves and we immediately start to trash him. Question his character. Act like he wasn´t good in the first place. Act like him leaving was the only possible outcome. Not like the Mavs had anything to do with it.

WHO is trashing Brunson? Literally all I'm seeing from the sunshine pumpers is that NYK overpaid for him by a mile, and that the Mavs aren't as bad off as everyone else is saying. 

I said that Jalen is a punk for scheduling a meeting with the Mavs and then reneging on it at the last possible second. And well... that IS a punk move to me. We've later learned that there probably wasn't a meeting in the first place and it was his agent trying to save face from the overt tampering charges. 

Other than that, everyone else has just posted stats showing that while Brunson was a great iso scorer, he had some major shortcomings. So major in fact that paying him 25+mil a year would be seen as a major risk, despite how big the cap is going up.

The thing is I agree with you that the Mavs mismanaged the asset. From day 1 it was a fuckup by Donnie. Carlisle jerked around Brunson for 3 years before he got a true shot under Kidd. His camp sought out the max extension last year after putting up a putrid display in the playoffs where we all questioned whether or not Brunson could ever be a starter in the league. Brunson did have a breakout year, but not good enough to warrant the money the Knicks threw at him. AND despite all of that, money probably wasn't even the factor here, as it seems Jalen wanted to be in NYK regardless of the money due to role and childhood dreams. Two things the Mavs could never offer. Further, before anyone says we should have traded Brunson, we have to take into account his 1.8 mil salary to match any contract, making trades incredibly awkward. And that's before even broaching the fact that he was due to be a UFA this year with the worst kept secret that he wanted to go to the Knicks (and that they were going to overpay). 

What I cannot stand is the fact that we keep spinning our tires repeating the same drivel as if the Mavs franchise died today. It didn't. We still have a top 5 player. We still acquired a 20ppg center. We just signed that interior presence we so desperately needed last year. And the Mavs aren't done.

Sheesh.

Also Edit:
I never said you were anti all-things-Mavs. I don't believe that for a second. But I do think you're overreacting here. I don't think Brunson was a good enough player to cast a cloud over this entire free agency.