Mavericks’ general manager Nico Harrison couldn’t help but laugh about the randomness as he came out to address media members on Friday directly after Jalen Brunson finished his session with reporters.
One of the key decision-makers in the organization following one of the players that a key decision must be made on this summer.
Brunson is coming off his fourth season in the league, all with the Mavericks. His contract expires July 1. He will be an unrestricted free agent.
He averaged 16.3 points, 4.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds in the regular season. He upped his scoring to 21.6 points per game in 18 playoff games.
In short, he’s in line to earn something along the lines of a bajillion dollars in his next contract.
“It’s the top priority,” Harrison said of re-signing the 6-1 guard, who moved into the starting lineup in December, about the same time the Mavericks took off this season. “We got to figure that out. Obviously, we’re not in control of it. But he’s definitely a priority. We want to re-sign him. He knows it. And we want him back. He’ll be a big part of our future.”
Brunson has talked little about his contractual situation this season, electing to let things play out, which they did very nicely for him.
He had a 41-point, eight-rebound, five-assist performance in Game 2 of the first round against Utah, a win that evened the series and got the Mavericks rolling on a surge that would take them to the Western Conference finals, where their season ended Thursday, 120-110, against Golden State in Game 5.
For Brunson, it’s been a joy, but maybe not for exactly the reasons you might think. It’s not necessarily that the Mavericks can offer Brunson more money than anybody else, even though they can.
“My agent (Andrew Morrison) called me last night, and said: hell of a season, we’ll talk in a couple days, unwind,” Brunson said. “That’s the extent of what’s been said so far. I’m not really worried about it as of right now. I just want to kind of relax, reflect and then go from there.”
But the year the Mavericks had is what makes his situation unique.
“It influences it a lot,” Brunson said. “I think whether we went this far or not, the teammates I was playing with this year have been amazing. It’s been a great set of guys.
“I express my gratitude to them all the time. I wouldn’t be in this position without them. I’ve thanked them countless times. And I really do appreciate them. Whether we got that far or not, I truly love this team.”
And, of course, the feeling is mutual.
The Mavericks are not in a good position financially to pursue marquee free agents this summer. They can, however, sign Brunson to any amount, which gives them the advantage in summer dealings with him.
And, getting to the conference finals provided some experience that only a deep playoff run can.
“I think we’ve already pitched him,” coach Jason Kidd said. “I think it’s not even the Western Conference finals. It’s about who we are and what we’re trying to accomplish. And he’s a big part of that. He did his part.
“It’s a cool thing to bet on yourself. And that’s what he did. But we’re a part of that bet. And now he has to wait and see. I’ll support whatever decision he makes, even if it’s not with us. He’s a great human being. Not just a great basketball player.”
Kidd said it was a turning point in the season when Brunson earned his way into the starting lineup in mid-December. That gave the Mavericks another ballhandler alongside Luka Dončić.
It also helped with another decision-maker in the starting lineup that could take some of the load off of Dončić.
“Since Christmas is kind of when we changed as a team,” Brunson said. “That’s when we started to gain traction and be the team we wanted to be. And me individually, I kept finding ways to get better every day.
“I started on the bench and J had confidence in me, my teammates had confidence in me and we kind of got it rolling from there.”
And then came Game 2 against Utah.
“It definitely was big,” he said, trying to downplay it but realizing that it would be a signature moment of his young career. “I didn’t go into that game thinking I needed to do that. I was just saying (to himself) I’ll do whatever it takes to win the game. Obviously, shots were falling and everyone saw it.
“It was a great moment, but it doesn’t really define the kind of player I am. I was just doing whatever I could to find a way to win.”
One sure thing is that Brunson will be a big winner once free agency begins in July. Until then, he knows that the season has been a success not only for him individually but for the organization.
Getting to the conference finals was a lot of fun, albeit exhausting when it was over.
“We continued to get better,” Brunson said. “We saw what it took to get to that point and we saw what it takes to get further. Everybody’s going to get better. The most important thing we have is guys are just hungry.”
Topping the agenda: While the Mavericks will look to upgrade the roster this offseason, one of the most pressing issues has nothing to do with talent.
It’s rest.
Nobody expected them to be playing into late May. And the toll that takes on the mind and body sometimes isn’t fully appreciated until after the run is over.
“They got to rest,” Kidd said of his players. “ This is a long season. So that would be my first thing to those guys because it’s a quick turn (until training camp in October). Rest, then reflect on what they did and how to get better.”
That doesn’t mean players won’t be in the gym. But mostly it’ll be in the weight room or doing cardio work, not doing things on the basketball court where knees and ankles get worn out.
And there’s another thing Kidd hopes to emphasize next season – a faster tempo.
“They got to rest and understand what pace we want to play at and also work on shooting threes,” he said. “But the biggest thing is rest, mentally and physically. It’s a long haul and the journey can be taxing.”
Twitter: @ESefko
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