Should Mavericks worry about losing Jalen Brunson if Knicks start clearing cap space?

Dallas Mavericks are strong favorites to re-sign Jalen Brunson

Brunson loves Dallas and is expected to quickly sign after free agency opens. Jake Fischer even reported on his podcast Please Don’t Aggregate This that JB is telling current and former teammates he is re-signing with the Mavs.

Brunson would be unable to sign quickly if he is headed to New York unless the Knicks clear the space before June 30 at 5 p.m. CT. That won’t be easy and will be costly. Even if New York creates space, the Mavs are still the favorites to sign Brunson.

The 6’1 guard wants to win. He won a state championship in high school and two NCAA championships in college. Brunson is a winner, and he was a massive piece in the Mavericks conference finals run.

Why would he want to leave to join the Knicks, who missed the playoffs? Yes, he has a strong relationship with New York president Leon Rose, and his father is on the coaching staff, but they are not in the same position to win as the Mavericks.

Fischer noted on his podcast that signing Brunson is a two-horse race between the Mavs and Knicks with his expectation that he stays in Dallas. It would be surprising if he leaves for New York, no matter how much cap space they clear.