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.

Dallas Mavericks replaced Steve Nash with Jason Terry: No Jalen Brunson replacement

The Mavs went with a head-scratching strategy after Brunson’s departure in free agency. They traded a first-round pick for Christian Wood, but they did zero to improve their backcourt. Dallas had success going small with two ball handlers on the floor at all times. After JB left, the Mavs had just two playmakers on their roster.

The Mavericks did sign JaVale McGee to be their starting center, and they drafted Jaden Hardy in the second round, but largely, Dallas ran it back without their second-best player. They unsurprisingly struggled before getting desperate and trading for Kyrie Irving. The deal made their unbalanced roster go further toward offense and resulted in an epic collapse that saw Luka and company miss the playoffs.

The Mavs overhauled their roster in 2004 after Nash left in free agency. They traded sixth man Antawn Jamison for Jerry Stackhouse, Devin Harris, and Christian Laettner on draft night. In August, Dallas sent Antoine Walker and Tony Delk to Atlanta for Jason Terry, Alan Henderson, and a 2007 first-round draft pick. The Mavericks also brought in Erick Dampier and Calvin Booth in the offseason.

Dallas kept making moves throughout the season, including trading for Darrell Armstrong and Keith Van Horn. They were determined to improve their roster and make a run. The Mavs made the conference finals in 2003 before a first-round exit in 2004. Dallas got to the second round in 2005 where an old friend was waiting.

Score one for letting Jalen Brunson leave as the worse move. At least Dallas tried to improve their roster after Nash’s departure. The Dallas Mavericks did nothing to replace their starting guard leaving until it was far too late, and even then, they traded Spencer Dinwiddie for Kyrie, which again left them with just two ball-handlers on their roster.

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.

Steve Nash won 2 MVP awards after leaving Dallas Mavericks: What will Jalen Brunson do?

To his credit, Nash was a slightly better player before and just after he left Dallas. Both players entered the NBA at 22 years old, but Nash had just finished his eighth season when he left the Mavericks.

He was drafted by the Suns in 1996 and spent two seasons in Phoenix before being traded to Dallas on draft night in 1998. Nash was already a two-time All-Star before he left in free agency, and he won back-to-back MVP honors in his first two years after re-joining the Suns.

Brunson only played four seasons, and he is still looking for his first All-Star appearance, but it could be coming. The 26-year-old was close this season and is among the finalists for the NBA’s Most Improved Player. Nash did not make his first All-Star appearance until he was 27 years old before earning the honors in six of the next seven years.

Letting Steve Nash go gets the tally here because he was already an All-Star and proven co-star next to Dirk Nowitzki. Brunson had a breakout fourth season, but there were more questions about his ceiling, especially playing next to Luka Doncic. JB had not stiffened an All-Star appearance before going to New York.

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.