Jalen Brunson of the Dallas Mavericks has quickly become one of the most desirable guards in the league.
You can’t blame teams for wanting Brunson: the young man had a terrific season and was a huge part of the Mavericks’ deep playoff run.
He’s got the skill, the drive, and the potential.
Because of that, we have been hearing for weeks that Mavs and New York Knicks have been duking it out to claim Brunson’s contract for the new season.
However, another possible suitor entered the fray the other day: the Miami Heat.
Have heard the same this morning from multiple league sources — no in-person meeting between the Heat and Brunson camp is planned at this point. https://t.co/dh3oRkKvi4
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) June 30, 2022
There were rumors on Wednesday that the Heat were trying to sign Brunson in the midst of the bidding war between Dallas and New York.
But NBA insiders Tim Reynolds and Zach Lowe say not so fast: they have heard that the Heat aren’t actually meeting with Brunson.
So that means the Heat probably aren’t really in the mix and it’s still down to just two teams.
Battling For Brunson
Brunson has created a lot of close relationships and ties in Dallas but the truth is that New York is offering him more.
The latest reports suggest the Knicks are going to pony up $110 million over four years, while the Mavs could get close to that amount but only over five years.
The Knicks would put Brunson front-and-center in rotation and he would have a chance to become the team’s leading scorer.
Plus, his dad would be one of his assistant coaches, which only makes the idea of playing in New York sweeter to Brunson.
Unless the Heat suddenly hop in with a wild offer, they won’t be part of this equation.
And unless the Mavs are able to successfully pull at Brunson’s heartstrings, he’s likely headed to New York.
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