The Dallas Mavericks did not end up reaching an agreement on a contract extension with Jalen Brunson ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season. Now, he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
One of the areas of focus from NBA experts on the Mavericks is that Brunson is pulling off a career-year and has raised his value for his next contract. He’s averaging a single-season best 15.1 points 4.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists on strong overall efficiency.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavericks hold confidence in their chances of being able to re-sign Jalen Brunson during the upcoming offseason.
“Behind the scenes, Mavericks officials continue to express confidence that they will re-sign Brunson, who becomes an unrestricted free agent in July if Dallas does not sign him to a contract extension by June 30. Brunson and defensive specialist Dorian Finney-Smith are both eligible for extensions before the end of this salary-cap year and the Mavericks naturally hope to keep both given the significant roles they’ve seized.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Will Mavericks Regret Not Getting Contract Done With Jalen Brunson?
Stein made mention of Brunson’s importance to the Mavericks’ locker room as a vocal leader as Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Tim Hardaway Jr. aren’t quite naturally vocal leaders— further solidifying the importance he holds to the team as a whole.
Brunson has put together an impressive campaign to date and could draw interest from plenty of teams if he were to reach unrestricted free agency. If he continues to build on his strong start to the season, it’s quite possible
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Will Mavericks Regret Not Getting Contract Done With Jalen Brunson?
A key area where Brunson will need to prove himself for not only the Mavericks but to prospective suitors as well is his ability make a big impact in the playoffs. He has struggled against the switch-everything LA Clippers defense. Could facing a different matchup make all the difference?
Jalen Brunson has taken needed pressure off Luka Doncic in the backcourt. For a Dallas Mavericks team that has sought a secondary ball handler to achieve precisely that, it’s been an intriguing development.
