DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - According to a report from NBA and Dallas Mavericks insider Marc Stein, Mavs guard Jalen Brunson is reportedly leaning towards a move to the New York Knicks.
"Only the Mavericks, possessing Brunson’s Bird Rights as the incumbent team, have the ability to offer a five-year deal that could zoom well past $100 million," Stein said in his report. "But further boosting New York’s chances is a growing belief among some close to the situation that Brunson wants this move to Madison Square Garden despite his considerable rise in prominence as a Maverick, and Dallas’ ability to outbid the Knicks, enticed by the opportunity to become New York’s unquestioned lead guard on top of strong family ties."
The Knicks, who were considered to be the Mavs biggest threat in the race to sign Brunson to a long-term deal, will need to clear enough cap space in order to fit Brunson's presumably large new salary.
Brunson is eligible to receive a five-year, $175,450,000 offer from the Mavericks this offseason. But a contract that large has never been discussed this offseason by the basketball insiders.
In a recent interview with Shan and RJ on 105.3 The Fan, Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer said he expected Brunson to land a contract worth "well over $20 million per year," but "there's confidence on Dallas' side that the [contract will not exceed $100 million.]"
The report from ESPN came on the heels of Fischer reporting on Tuesday night that Brunson is telling teammates that he's returning to the Mavericks.
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According to MacMahon, Dallas had an opportunity to sew up a four-year, $55.5 million contract extension with Brunson before the season, but they didn't offer him a deal after he struggled in the team's 2021 first-round playoff series loss to the Clippers last year.
Dallas also passed on making him an offer in the middle of the season after Brunson cemented himself into the starting lineup for good after he was slated to be a temporary fill-in for an injured Doncic.
The fourth-year guard responded by parlaying a breakout regular season (career-high 16.3 points per game) into an even better postseason, averaging 21.6 points throughout the Mavs’ playoff run.