This is what the potential contract from the Knicks would look like if it's 4/110 like @ChrisBHaynes reported. pic.twitter.com/9Ti0XXcPSk

— MavsCBA (@CBAMavs) June 29, 2022

MW03 said:

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Texas Ag 15 said:

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i've read some of that as well, specifically, Brunson's camp feeling that he will be limited in development here with Luka since he is so ball dominant. It's definitely a larger risk for him to go to the Knicks where you have to prove you can be THE guy vs you can just follow Luka.

My question would be, what is the backup plan for the Mavs if Brunson doesn't resign? You have to spend that money somehow, and not sure who would even be available for the Mavs to get

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There's nobody besides Brunson. From @CBAMavs

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2022

The Mavericks wouldn't gain any mechanism this offseason if Brunson leaves into the Knicks cap space. Dallas is way over the cap. It could help the Mavericks to avoid the tax apron. They would still need to shed more salary but getting below would be easier when you minus what would have been Brunson's $20 million or more salary. That could open the door for receiving a free agent in a sign-and-trade but the Mavericks would have to send out assets to shed the extra money and it might prevent them from being able to use their MLE.

2023
Dallas will also not be a cap space team in 2023 so the benefit of Brunson leaving wouldn't be anything substantial. It could allow the Mavericks to have the Full MLE rather than the Taxpayer MLE depending on who they re-sign out of Maxi Kleber, Christian Wood, Dwight Powell, or Frank Ntilikina.

2024
The Mavericks project to potentially have $45 million in cap space, right! However, that's with only 4 salaries. They will surely add salaries in the future that push them past the point of having usable cap space. The point is, if you have a supermax guy like Luka Doncic and want to remain competitive, you generally won't have cap space.

2025
This is the year where it IS possible the Mavericks could have cap space because their books are pretty clear now. The new TV deal kicks in that year and the Mavericks have a few contracts expiring that summer: Davis Bertans, Tim Hardaway, and maybe an opt-out Dorian Finney-Smith. So signing Brunson COULD block our potential cap space then EXCEPT he'd be 28 and with the cap going up would likely opt out himself!

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Brunson signing for an uncomfortably high amount would not impair the Mavericks in any way. However not re-signing him would yield very little in terms of helping Dallas with team building while also making the Mavericks substantially worse for Luka's young prime.

It would be a huge mistake to let Brunson walk to save a potential $5 million and would be dumb according to their cap sheet and the CBA. Even if you gauge his initial value at $18 million, paying an $18 million dollar player $25 million (or even $27 million) would be a better outcome than hunting for his replacement using the same $6.392 million taxpayer MLE we already have.

If Brunson comes out at his hypothetical Knicks press conference and says something like "The Mavericks offered me more money but I wanted to be with my dad and Leon in the Big Apple" then we would reasonably blame Donnie Nelson for signing him to a non-guaranteed 4th year instead of a team option AND Nico Harrison for not signing Brunson to an extension when it was possible.

It's true that the Luxury Tax is a real threat this season and I have pegged their tax being over $80 million if they re-sign Brunson and use the Taxpayer MLE. They might get some relief next year with Powell and Wood expiring, but having a supermax top five player means Dallas will be in the tax if they want to complete for a championship. Since Luka has stated his goal and Cuban has said keeping Luka is job number one… I don't see letting Brunson walk as a possibility.

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fightinags2013 said:

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Worst case scenario is happening- letting him walk for nothing
Sign and trade would have been a little better.

I get not wanting to pay him so much, but their alternative is going to be some bum/washed get for the MLE. Just a gut punch. Will be interesting to see the Cuban spin.

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NoahAg said:

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Does it make sense to say the Knicks are dumb for wanting to pay him this much, but at the same time the Mavs would be dumb not to pay him as much as possible?

Just from a basketball perspective I don't think he raises the Knicks to the top of the Eastern Conference. But I also think the Mavs take a step back if he leaves.

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Fore Left! said:

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Btw, Brunson is now also going to meet with the Heat which is a move solely geared toward getting the stink of around a year Knicks tampering off this thing. As a reminder, the Knicks president since March 2020 has been Leon Rose, Brunson's agent who negotiated that rookie deal and is very close to both Brunsons. This whole thing has been cooking for a long time

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PatAg said:

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Fore Left! said:

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Btw, Brunson is now also going to meet with the Heat which is a move solely geared toward getting the stink of around a year Knicks tampering off this thing. As a reminder, the Knicks president since March 2020 has been Leon Rose, Brunson's agent who negotiated that rookie deal and is very close to both Brunsons. This whole thing has been cooking for a long time

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One of Brunson's current agents is Sam Rose, son of Leon Rose

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Breaking: The Dallas Mavs are expected to heavily pursue a trade for Kyrie Irving.#MFFL per @massey_evan pic.twitter.com/6JRMyuM5fd

— MFFL (@Mavs_FFL) June 30, 2022

Ol Jock 99 said:

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Breaking: The Dallas Mavs are expected to heavily pursue a trade for Kyrie Irving.#MFFL per @massey_evan pic.twitter.com/6JRMyuM5fd

— MFFL (@Mavs_FFL) June 30, 2022

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