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

Steve Nash joined Dallas Mavericks playoff rival as Jalen Brunson went East

Nash went to the Phoenix Suns where head coach Mike D’Antoni took his game to another level. They became known for their Seven Seconds or Less offense that made Nash a two-time MVP. The future Hall of Famer was the perfect fit for the scheme as he along with Amar’e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion instantly made Phoenix contenders.

The Suns actually knocked Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks out in the second round of the playoffs in 2005 before Dallas got revenge in the conference finals in 2006. Every second of watching Nash and Nowitzki battle in the playoffs was stressful and had MFFLs thinking of what could have been if owner Mark Cuban had kept the duo together.

Jalen Brunson joined the New York Knicks last summer where he has close family ties. Leon Rose is his former agent, Brunson’s father joined the coaching staff, and Rick Brunson has worked with head coach Tom Thibodeau for years. The Knicks are in the Eastern Conference, so the only way Luka Doncic and JB could battle in the playoffs would be in the NBA Finals, and the Mavericks would certainly welcome that challenge.

Letting Nash go evens the score as the Dallas Mavericks watched him walk to a conference rival that was in their immediate path toward winning a title.