It wasn’t really a surprise when Jalen Brunson decided to leave the Dallas Mavericks for the New York Knicks at the start of the summer.
For weeks before, the Knicks made no secret of their desire to land Brunson, who had a breakout season with the Mavericks as a wonderful point guard and right-hand man to Luka Doncic.
Still, some were shocked to see just how much Brunson earned in his deal with the Knicks: more than $110 million over four years.
Dorian Finney-Smith on Jalen Brunson’s departure for New York: “Man, you saw how much money they gave him? I’d have been mad if he stayed here.”
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) September 26, 2022
While his old Mavericks crew was certainly sad to see him go, they don’t blame him for agreeing to move.
Dorian Finney-Smith, for example, completely understands Brunson’s choice.
“Man, you saw how much money they gave him?” Finney-Smith said at the team’s media day.
“I’d have been mad if he stayed here,” he added.
The Mavericks will need to fill the void left by Brunson.
At the same time, Brunson will have to prove a lot in New York City.
Jalen’s New Job
It is true that the Mavericks will miss the skills of Brunson in the new season.
He is a fast, tough, and often fearless guard and that is something that Mavericks could use.
But, Brunson has a new task ahead of him: showing the Knicks that he really is worth his massive payday.
He will be a linchpin for his new team and will be their starting point guard.
A lot of attention will be paid to him, how he leads, and the success the troubled team finds with him running plays.
Brunson needs to not only continue the greatness he showed in Dallas, but he also needs to build upon it as well.
That’s a tall order but he is certainly being paid handsomely.
NEXT: Luka Doncic Gets A Hilarious Yet Accurate New Nickname