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

Was letting Jalen Brunson or Steve Nash walk a worse move for the Dallas Maverick?

Letting Steve Nash walk in free agency is still the worst move in Dallas Mavericks history, but it has a new rival. If Jalen Brunson continues improving and can help the Knicks make multiple deep playoff runs, many will question which move was worse.

Both are made worse by the fact that both players wanted to stay in Dallas. Nash and Nowitzki were close friends like Doncic and Brunson. Yes, Dallas reached the NBA Finals in 2006 and won the championship in 2011, but letting Nash walk was still an awful move. Instead of learning from his mistake, owner Mark Cuban repeated it by allowing Brunson to leave in free agency with zero return last summer.

Can the Dallas Mavericks overcome it again? Early returns suggest no. The Mavs advanced to the second round of the playoffs in 2005 without Nash, but they did not even qualify for the postseason in 2023. They found Luka a co-star, but will he stay as he heads into free agency? If the Mavericks lose Kyrie Irving for nothing, things could go from bad to worse quickly.

The Mavs are facing a massive offseason. They must improve their roster dramatically, but it will not be easy. Stay tuned to see how it all shakes out and what Jalen Brunson can do in the Big Apple.