Mavericks' Jalen Brunson failure is starting to look worse than the Luka Doncic trade

The Dallas Mavericks lost Jalen Brunson for absolutely nothing in 2022 after failing to reach an agreement on a proposed four-year $55 million extension in January of that year, and this massive mistake is starting to look worse than the Luka Doncic trade, given Brunson is just three wins away from winning an NBA Championship as the No. 1 option.

Brunson put together an electric Game 1 versus the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, scoring 30 points despite battling an apparent knee injury in the first quarter, and 13 of these points came during crucial minutes in the fourth quarter when the game was tight. He helped lead the Knicks to this victory, leaving Mavericks fans watching from their couch as their former second-round pick dominated on the NBA's biggest stage.

Mavericks' Brunson loss is looking even worse than the Doncic trade

Brunson isn't the lengthiest or athletic defender in the world, but he competes hard on that end and has a stout base, despite natural limitations. Doncic's inconsistencies in that department are a huge part of why Dallas lost the 2024 NBA Finals, and he looked exhausted on both ends.

Meanwhile, his injuries have prevented him from staying on the court for the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs since the trade, and Brunson is honestly looking like a better No. 1 option compared to Doncic at the moment.

Dallas' Doncic trade will forever be the most infamous trade in Mavericks history, and the fan backlash from this move was 10 times worse compared to when Dallas let Brunson walk for nothing to the Knicks, but there's an argument to be made that the Doncic trade is far less egregious in hindsight.

Brunson and Knicks are three wins away from proving his loss was worse

Sure, Anthony Davis not working out in Dallas made the Doncic trade even worse, but Dallas at least extracted some decent value for an aging Davis in their deadline move with the Washington Wizards, and also got a 2029 first-round pick as well as Max Christie, who's become a servicable starter in Dallas. They got absolutely nothing for Brunson, though, and it's starting to be proven that Brunson is an easier superstar to build around compared to Doncic, even if Doncic is more talented offensively.

No one would've anticipated this development back in 2022, much less in February of 2025, when Doncic was traded to the Lakers, but Brunson hasn't stopped ascending in his progression as a player, while Doncic has started to middle out due to injuries and defensive inconsistencies, despite how talented he is.

It may be a bit of a fetch to fully come to the conclusion that losing Brunson for nothing was worse than the Doncic trade in the grand scheme of things until the Finals are over, but if Brunson helps the Knicks take the series over the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama, it will be irrefutable to reject this idea. Dallas fumbled terribly with both of these moves, but Brunson's loss is shaping up to be worse at this point, especially since Dallas could've gotten him for so cheap had they offered the extension earlier.

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