New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban appear to have to settled their differences. Brunson left Dallas in the 2022 offseason to sign with New York, and has since quickly grown from being a solid role player to one of the game’s top players overall.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban apologized to Jalen Brunson for the way he handled Brunson’s departure
Cuban made an appearance on Brunson and fellow Knicks teammate Josh Hart’s podcast titled Roommates Show, and the two discussed the way the famed Mavericks owner handled the point guard leaving in a transparent moment.
“Only thing I didn’t like…when Mark said ‘When the parents got involved…things got messy’…that was a little jab,” Brunson said to Cuban.
Cuban replied by stating that his remarks “wasn’t a jab” and added that his intentions weren’t to create turmoil between the two. He eventually apologized to Brunson for the way he handled the situation, describing it as “unique.”
“I apologize,” Cuban said to Brunson. “If I made you feel a certain way, that wasn’t the intention. But it was hard to deal with. It was a unique negotiation.”
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Brunson has transformed into a superstar since signing with the Knicks
During the 2022 season, the Mavericks tried to bring back Brunson midseason by offering him a four-year, $55 million contract. However, the future All-Star couldn’t reach a deal with Dallas and ultimately signed with the Knicks for much more at four years and $104 million. At the time, this was widely considered an overpay by New York, but it quickly became one of the best value contracts in league history, and that was only amplified further by his historic four-year, $156 million extension he signed this summer to stay with the Knicks.
The Mavericks would suffer in their first year without Brunson, as the team missed the postseason despite acquiring superstar Kyrie Irving at the trade deadline to pair with Luka Doncic. They would rebound nicely and make the NBA Finals the next season, but fell short to the Boston Celtics in five games.
The Knicks, meanwhile, have catapulted into title contention thanks to Brunson’s rapid growth and a great supporting cast around him. Both teams are expected to be in great shape to compete for an NBA title, and have a realistic chance to meet on the league’s biggest stage, which would only be fitting after the turmoil Brunson and Cuban endured following the 2022 season.
