Rick Brunson on Mavericks choosing not to extend Jalen Brunson: They looked the other way, that’s on them

Father and son had discussed the extension offer they were sure was on the horizon while relaxing on the beach during the Brunsons’ annual summer vacation at the Round Hill Hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica, the homeland of his mother’s side of the family. They decided that they’d even accept a little less than the maximum that Dallas could offer if the Mavs wanted to negotiate. Fifty million was a nice round number that would work for them. “I gave ’em a discount!” Rick Brunson said later. But the Mavs — communicating through Brunson’s CAA agents Aaron Mintz or Sam Rose — weren’t ready to make that kind of commitment. “When I first got the phone call — [the Mavs said], ‘We really want to think about it’ — it f—ed my whole vacation up,” Rick Brunson grumbled. -via ESPN / March 24, 2025

But the Mavs opted not to act on inquiries about Brunson — including from New York — leading up to the February 10 trade deadline. Dallas discussed dumping injured shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr.’s fresh four-year, $75 million contract, which would have required attaching future draft compensation, a move that would have created enough cap space to offer Brunson a larger extension. Brunson’s agents passed on word that a five-year, $87 million offer would be accepted. However, Dallas didn’t deal Hardaway. Instead, they meekly offered Brunson the four-year, $55.5 million extension. Finney-Smith excitedly signed his identical extension offer at the time, but Brunson turned it down, rightly believing that he had “outgrown” that number. “That was a 30-second conversation,” Rick Brunson said. “I wasn’t on the phone, but how I got the message was, ‘You guys wouldn’t be interested in that deal now, would you?’ That’s how it was said to me. I just laughed.” -via ESPN / March 24, 2025

“Yo man, I know what [Cuban is] doing. He’s going to come to New York and say, ‘Here goes a max deal,’” Rick Brunson recalled telling his wife and son. “I’m thinking the guy got money coming off his ass. So he’s coming with a max deal and then going to say, ‘What you going to do?’” Jalen Brunson’s response, according to his dad: “This, I’m taking it.” “And guess what I said? ‘Gotta do it!’” Rick Brunson said. -via ESPN / March 24, 2025

His son was the breakout star of the playoffs’ first round, carrying the Mavs to a 2-1 series lead over the Jazz while Dončić recovered from his calf strain, and Jalen’s pops had some stuff he wanted to publicly get off his chest. Brunson had no interest in discussing his pending free agency, but his dad was eager to get the family’s side of the developing story on the record. “We’ve got to figure out if Dallas wants him. Not words,” Rick Brunson said. “Ain’t no discount. So don’t put it on us. Don’t tell me you love me. Show me.” -via ESPN / March 24, 2025

MINUTES AFTER THE Mavs’ 2021-22 season ended, Mark Cuban indicated that Jalen Brunson’s return was a sure thing — casually dropping “obviously after re-signing JB” while discussing offseason plans during a live interview on Bally Sports Southwest. Throughout the Mavs’ playoff run, as Brunson’s value in the upcoming free agency market seemingly soared, Cuban repeatedly reminded reporters that the Mavs had the guard’s Bird rights, meaning the franchise could exceed the salary cap to keep him, as well as offer larger annual raises and a longer contract than other suitors. “We can pay him more than anybody,” Cuban said when asked a follow-up question specifically about Brunson. “I think he wants to stay, and that’s most important.” -via ESPN / March 24, 2025