Whereas attempting to elucidate why his crew grew to become an utter disappointment, Mavs proprietor Mark Cuban took intention at Jalen Brunson’s father.
Cuban informed reporters that his contract negotiations with Brunson turned bitter final season “when the dad and mom bought concerned,” in accordance with ESPN. It was a reference to Rick Brunson, now an assistant with the Knicks.
Jalen Brunson left the Mavericks in free company to hitch his father with the Knicks, signing a four-year, $104 million contract. His absence in Dallas is continuously cited as the principle purpose for the crew’s downfall after advancing to the convention finals.
Clearly, Cuban stays bitter.
The proprietor additionally refuted studies that the Mavericks might’ve signed Brunson earlier than the commerce deadline final yr for 3 years, $55 million. He repeated that Dallas was by no means given a possibility to re-sign Brunson in the summertime.
The Knicks had been cited for tampering with Brunson and docked a second-round decide, a minuscule punishment contemplating the purpose guard lifted them to the franchise’s finest file in a decade.
The Mavericks, in the meantime, entered Wednesday outdoors of the play-in event regardless of their dynamic backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.
In a twist, the Knicks personal the Mavericks’ first-round decide this yr — a product of the 2019 Kristaps Porzingis commerce — nevertheless it’s top-10 protected and in all probability received’t convey if Dallas maintains its bottom-10 file.
Knicks scout Tim Hardaway, whose son Tim Hardaway Jr. performs for the Mavericks, famous Cuban’s crew is lacking a “chief.”
“They’re lacking a frontrunner on the market. Luka is just not a frontrunner, Kyrie is just not a frontrunner. Jalen Brunson was a frontrunner,” Hardaway Sr. mentioned on FS1. “A pacesetter exhibits by instance too, by taking part in protection. When he says one thing, he does it additionally, and thats what a frontrunner is. And like I mentioned, these two guys aren't leaders, they’re complimentary, dominant nice basketball gamers. Nice scorers.”
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