Mark Cuban has apologized to Jalen Brunson regarding their contract negotiations before Brunson’s move to the New York Knicks.
Cuban’s comments came during a recent appearance on the Rommates Show.
“We were like, ‘Give us a range; what’s the number?’” Cuban explained, via HoopsHype. “We put up a number, they said it was too low, and then they were like, ‘Well, where do we need to be?’”
Brunson previously expressed disappointment over the Mavericks’ handling of his extension talks.
Cuban noted that the Mavericks hoped to retain Brunson but faced challenges during negotiations.
“Once we got the number from the Knicks and everything—like I said, I’m going to keep saying this—from Jalen Brunson’s point of view, I didn’t hear anything else from the Mavericks,” Brunson said.
Brunson’s agent relayed that communication from the Mavericks had stopped, causing confusion.
“Because they wanted us to come to New York, and we were like, ‘Okay, but what are we going to discuss?’” Cuban said. “We wanted to keep him, but we’re not going to just show up in New York for you just to say no.”
Brunson revealed that Mavericks’ comments and lack of follow-up contributed to his decision to leave.
“From my perspective, after we played the game and lost Game 5 in the Western Conference Finals,” Brunson said. “I remember seeing on Twitter that Mark did a postgame interview. It was with our crew or whatever, and Mark was like, ‘Hey, we can pay him the most money.’”
The Mavericks’ delay in offering an extension and their actions during the offseason led Brunson to explore other opportunities.
Brunson’s strong performances during Luka Doncic’s injury period increased his value.
“Trade deadline comes. I’m thinking like if I’m not getting extended, I’m probably gonna get traded,” Brunson said.
Ultimately, Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million deal with the Knicks.
Brunson has thrived with New York, earning his first All-Star selection in his second season.
