Did the Mavericks make the right move with Jalen Brunson at the trade deadline?

Dallas Mavericks, Jalen Brunson
Dallas Mavericks, Jalen Brunson | Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
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Dallas Mavericks, Jalen Brunson
Dallas Mavericks, Jalen Brunson | Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

What is next for Jalen Brunson and the Dallas Mavericks?

Brunson is going to keep working on his game, and the Mavs believe they can go on a playoff run this season. Tim Hardaway’s foot injury leaves Dallas a bit light on the wing, and they will be attempting to to find roles for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, but they have enough around Luka Doncic to be a scary matchup in the playoffs. The Utah Jazz currently sit fourth in the West, but they have struggled recently. The Mavericks could catch them in the standings and/or pull the first-round upset.

Following the team’s postseason run, all eyes will shift to Brunson’s free agency. The Mavs can only offer a four-year deal worth $55 million during the season, and JB has outplayed that contract. He will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and Dallas must act quickly to re-sign him at the market rate.

The Dallas Mavericks are hoping to keep Jalen Brunson long-term and make him a key piece of their roster around superstar Luka Doncic. They just re-signed Dorian Finney-Smith, and they appear to be the team’s three building blocks moving forward.

The Mavs will be searching for a second star to pair with Luka, and that could cost them Brunson and/or Finney-Smith. Short of that trade, Dallas wants JB growing next to Doncic as their backcourt of the present and future.

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