Rumors: Asking price may force Dallas Mavericks to trade Jalen Brunson to Knicks

The Dallas Mavericks want to keep Jalen Brunson. He became a full-time starter and the team’s second-leading scorer this season, and JB took his game to another level in the playoffs. Brunson helped the Mavs win two of the first three games against the Jazz without Luka Doncic, and he averaged over 21 points per game during the team’s run to the Western Conference Finals.

The 25-year-old point guard is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He holds all the keys, but there is mutual interest between the two sides to keep him in Dallas long-term. General manager and president of basketball operations Nico Harrison even let fans know re-signing Brunson is the team’s top priority this offseason.

The Knicks have long been viewed as the biggest threat to Dallas keeping JB. They recently hired his father as an assistant coach, and the latest rumors suggest a sign-and-trade for Jalen could be next on their agenda.

Rumors: Asking price may force Dallas Mavericks to trade Jalen Brunson to Knicks

Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus dropped his latest rumors on June 13 where he noted multiple sources believe the Mavs will be out on Brunson at his asking price, so the team will be forced to sign-and-trade him to the New York Knicks.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported Dallas would not entire sign-and-trade offers on Brunson, and completing any sign-and-trade will be difficult for Dallas to get value in return because they will only be able to receive 50 percent of JB’s new salary in return.

The Dallas Mavericks are still the favorites to re-sign Jalen Brunson this summer. His price will likely be in the $25 million per season territory, which will cost the Mavs significantly more when factoring in the luxury tax penalties. Still, Dallas needs the 6’1 point guard to make another deep postseason run in 2023. Stay tuned to see how Jalen Brunson’s free agency plays out.