Knicks Rumors: Jalen Brunson to Leave Mavericks, Sign 4-Year, 'Near' $110M Contract

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Dallas Mavericks now have a hole in their backcourt after a four-year contract with the New York Knicks.

He was one of the bigger wild cards when it came to free agency this year.

The Mavericks were unable to match the offer sheet he received since he was an unrestricted free agent. He's a proven contributor, but not a top-tier star.

It was a prime target for teams in smaller markets to consider.

In April, Tim MacMahon reported that sources around the league thought the player could make as much as $25 million a year.

Rick told MacMahon that the young guard wouldn't take anything less than his market rate.

If Dallas wants him, we need to figure that out. He said not words. It's not a discount. We don't want it on us. Don't say you love me. Show me what I need to know.

The opportunity to occupy a role that was likely impossible as long as he shared a bench with Luka Doncic was given to him by leaving the Mavericks.

The eighth-highest usage rate for a single season in the history of basketball was recorded by the Slovenians. He has the 10th and 17th highest marks in the next two years.

It can be hard for other guards to shine when the Mavs have an offense that is based around Doncic.

He was mostly used as a backup. It couldn't have been better for him to prove himself as a starter in the next two years.

In 78 appearances, he averaged 16.3 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.9 rebound. He shot 50.2 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from beyond the line.

The playoffs were a great place to prove yourself. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Utah Jazz in the first round. The Mavs won the second game of the series with Doncic out with an injury.

Extrapolating what a player did in the playoffs beyond that can be dangerous. In the playoffs, he was great for Dallas.

ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo

Jalen Brunson has 20+ points in 5 straight playoff games.

He has never had 20+ points in more than 2 straight games in his regular-season career. pic.twitter.com/mGSMWEYId6

Jason Gallagher @jga41agher

Luka has been amazing since he first stepped foot in the league. We all knew that.

But Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith were the difference makers this series. They were massive.

It was a confirmation that he had arrived as a valuable contributor on a franchise with lofty ambitions. Even if he reverted back to what he was during the regular season, he still showed he could do a lot of things.

There isn't a straightforward way to replace him and that could be a blow to the Mavs. The backcourt gets a bit thin after Spencer and Doncic.

This might work out for the Mavericks in the future. His contract could be turned into an albatross for New York if he fell back to earth. This is a major blow to the franchise's quest for a title.

The Kemba Walker experiment was a disaster for the Knicks as he didn't make it a full season before the team decided to move on. The injury limited Rose to 26 games.

In order to avoid another losing season, New York had to upgrade at point guard, and the state of the market made it a priority.