Mark Cuban: Jalen Brunson’s Father To Blame For Mavericks' Woeful Situation

Mark Cuban held court with the media—an unscheduled dialogue—and let his opinions be known on an assortment of topics. It seems that he's still bitter about the loss of Jalen Brunson last offseason, and he blames former NBA player—and Brunson's father—Rick, for the loss of their second-best player. 

Mark Cuban blames Jalen Brunson’s dad, Rick for losing out to Knicks in free agency.

“Things went south when the parents got involved.”

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— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 5, 2023

Cuban insists that the Mavericks weren't even given a chance at retaining Brunson before he signed a 4-year, $104M deal with the New York Knicks, and "where it went south was when Rick took over, when the parent took over, or parents took over."

The Mavs were only able to offer Brunson a 4-year $56M extension during the season last year, per the CBA, but Cuban read texts to the media from February of 2022 that indicate that Rick Brunson said his son "expected to receive a contract with salaries in the range of $18-23 million per year."

"JB kept on telling us he liked being here," said Cuban. "JB never gave us an indication. It was only the parents that were the issue. Even the agent said, worst case, we can do a sign-and-trade."

Dallas GM Nico Harrison told Cuban at the time, however, "I think just the New York thing is too tied to their family to overcome."

And of course, Jalen Brunson went on to sign with New York, leaving Dallas holding the bag. Brunson is now a top candidate for Most Improved Player after leading the Knicks to a resurgent year and a solid 5-seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Mavs... Well, they're struggling to stay alive in the Play-In chase in the West; they need some help from other teams if they are to overcome Oklahoma City for the 10th spot. 

Cuban also had some surprising thoughts on Kyrie Irving. 

Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports