Mark Cuban Was Unbothered By Mavs Heartbreak Despite Bearing Brunt for $104M Decision, per Jason Kidd

Building a Championship team is certainly not an easy task. One wrong move by the front office could be the difference between lifting the title and being sent home early. However, the Dallas Mavericks have miraculously overcome the mistake they made two years ago by not offering Jalen Brunson the money he desired and letting him leave for New York. While it took several major moves to fill the void Brunson’s departure left in the team and reach the NBA Finals this year, head coach Jason Kidd revealed that then-majority owner Mark Cuban remained unfazed throughout the entire ordeal.

Discussing the Mavs’ failure last season when they couldn’t even make the play-in tournament on The Stephen A. Smith Show, Jason Kidd appreciated Cuban and GM Nico Harrison for not losing calm while they were being criticized for letting Brunson go. “We did lose Brunson to New York, so we had to make adjustments… From Cuban to Nico, no one was panicking.” Kidd said.

Eventually signing with the Knicks for $104 million, Brunson was initially ready to stay in Dallas for a much smaller paycheck. Before his last season with the Mavs, Brunson wanted to sign a four-year $56 million extension with the team. After the Mavs decided to wait on their decision, Jalen again revisited the deal in January only to get denied. Then, choosing to wait till the end of the season, Brunson’s market value increased significantly after he balled out in the 2022 playoffs while Luka was out because of an injury. And when the Mavs did come knocking at his door with the same deal, Brunson believed he had outgrown that number. With that, Mark Cuban lost a future superstar when he could have kept him at a much lower price. However, like a true entrepreneur, Cuban didn’t lose hope.

How did Mark Cuban and Co. correct their mistake?

After watching Jalen Brunson leave and turn into a star in New York, Cuban, and his crew knew they needed to make up for their missed opportunity. Then, he brought in former Champion Kyrie Irving last season, a move that was criticized by many analysts because of Kyrie’s tarnished reputation in recent years. While the move didn’t pay off instantly, Kyrie and Luka soon became one of the most dominating duos in the league and are currently only four wins away from getting the Mavs another title.

Jason Kidd also commended GM Nico Harrison for his contribution to creating the Mavs’ current roster, “Nico did an incredible job with addressing some of the issues that we had.” After last season, Nico and Cuban understood that the Mavs lacked athleticism and depth, which is crucial in the postseason. So, adding Donte Exum and former Dunk Contest champion Derrick Jones Jr. in the off-season, they filled that void.

Then, they picked up Dereck Lively II in the draft who has been the dark horse in this historic playoff run. And in the mid-season trade deadline, they finally added the two missing pieces in the roster, PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, who have taken the team’s depth to the next level. With these incredible moves, Cuban and Nico were able to turn the Mavs back into title contenders in less than two seasons. And now all that’s left is for this squad to beat the Celtics and lift the long-awaited title.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow in what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.