Was Dallas Mavericks letting Jalen Brunson or Steve Nash walk in free agency worse?

The Dallas Mavericks are still feeling the pain of Jalen Brunson leaving in free agency. He was the team’s second-best player, and the franchise let him walk out the door with zero return. The Mavs decision-makers deserve all the blame as JB has stated many times that he wanted to stay in Dallas.

Now, Brunson is leading the Knicks, and Dallas is fearing Luka Doncic’s departure if their roster does not improve. The Mavs missed the playoffs as Brunson led New York to the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Dallas needs to keep Kyrie Irving this summer and find a way to upgrade their roster or a total rebuild could be on the horizon.

Letting Brunson walk in free agency brought back memories of what owner Mark Cuban calls his biggest regret. Future Hall of Famer Steven Nash departed under similar circumstances in 2004 in what turned out to be two of the worst moves in Mavs history.

History repeats as Dallas Mavericks let Jalen Brunson walk in free agency like Steve Nash did in 2004

Nash’s departure is the biggest what-if in franchise history. The franchise let him walk in free agency because of health concerns, but he had missed just four games combined in the three seasons before his departure. Nash was an undersized point guard approaching his 30th birthday, but he had already made two All-Star appearances in Dallas. The Mavs ultimately decided to go in a different direction as they tried to build around Dirk Nowitzki.

Nowitzki was just entering his prime in 2004, and he had already been a three-time All-Star. Luka was three years younger but was also a three-time All-Star with the looks of an all-time great. In both cases, the Mavericks bet against an undersized point guard. They did not believe either was the right fit next to their superstar after a trip to the conference finals. Owner Mark Cuban and the Mavs were wrong both times.

Which move was worse for the franchise? They are both among the worst in franchise history, but which decision takes the cake as the inferior choice? Here is a look at all the details.