Best snippets from Dallas Mavericks 2022 exit interviews

Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison calls re-signing Jalen Brunson top priority

Mavs guard Jalen Brunson heads into unrestricted free agent this summer after a breakout fourth NBA season that saw him become a starter and averaged 21.6 points per game in the playoffs. The team failed to reach an extension with the 6’1 guard, but they have no plans on letting him sign elsewhere this summer.

Harrison shared the following answer about bringing back Brunson during his exit interview.

"It’s the top priority. We’ve got to figure that out. Obviously, we are not in control of it, but he’s definitely a priority. We want to re-sign him. He knows that we want him back. He’ll be a big part of our future."

Re-signing Brunson will be costly for the Mavericks. He is expected to land $20-plus million per season, which will push Dallas deep into the luxury tax. Can the Mavs outbid the rest of the league for his services? It is the top storyline of the summer for the team.

Harrison was also asked what the Mavericks need, and he pointed directly to rebounding and rim protection as the two areas they are looking to upgrade this offseason. It will be interesting to see how Dallas goes about that. Ideally, they would add a stretch big man that can protect the rim, but those are difficult to acquire.

Expect to see plenty of Jalen Brunson rumors over the next month as free agency chatter picks up. Every team would love to add him to their roster, but will the Mavericks be the one that signs him? Stay tuned to find out.