Jalen Brunson – Dallas Mavericks
Dallas recently made a big move at the trade deadline, trading away Kristaps Porzingis for Davis Bertans and Spencer Dinwiddie, and they also gave a big contract extension to Dorian Finney-Smith.
Having Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr., Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith all on long-term deals now, the Mavericks’ front-office will now turn their attention to retaining Jalen Brunson on a new long-term extension.
Jalen Brunson is currently in the midst of his fourth NBA season, all of which have been spent in Dallas with the Mavericks, and he has turned himself into a key focal point for this team offensively.
Next to Luka Doncic, the Mavericks have a ton of question marks, but Jalen Brunson does not seem to be one of them. Between being a key primary facilitator, as well as an off-the-ball playmaker, Brunson has carved a key role for himself in this league even though he is considered to be undersized at 6’1”.
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In the final year of his contract, there has been a lot of talk about the Mavericks wanting to bring back Brunson long-term, but he is said to have multiple suitors in free agency this summer.
According to the New York Post’s Marc Berman, the Knicks have shown a level of interest in soon-to-be free agent Jalen Brunson and according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Pistons are expected to show interest in him as well.
The Mavericks are going to have competition to re-sign Jalen Brunson, which is why they could look to get a deal done right now before the end of the season, that way they can avoid Brunson becoming a free agent all together.
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A player like Jalen Brunson can receive a maximum starting salary worth up to 120% of the NBA’s estimated average salary of about $12.4 million in the first-year of a contract extension. As a result, this would equate to about $55 million over four years for Jalen Brunson should he look to sign an extension right now.
However, should Brunson wait until the offseason, he could receive a three-year deal worth upwards of $57 million in total, about $19 million per year compared to close to $14 million per year, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger.
A $57 million extension seems fair for Jalen Brunson given his value and production for the Mavericks, but there is a rule for players that were second-round picks and are extension-eligible.
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According to Hollinger, the team can only start his salary at 120% of the average salary, which is $14 million for the first season in 2022-23. Thus, a three-year deal for Brunson, after 8 percent raises, would only come to $45.3 million.
This right here is likely why we have not seen the Mavericks agree to a long-term deal with Brunson yet and why he and his agent will likely drag these discussions into free agency, where Jalen Brunson can receive exactly the kind of deal that he would like.
There is a big difference between $45 million and close to $60 million in contract-extension talks, which is why we should not expect to see Jalen Brunson agree to any new deal with the Mavericks before the summer.
