An eight- or nine-figure storyline hovers over the star rise of Jalen Brunson during the NBA playoffs.
The other guard the Dallas Mavericks landed in the draft is poised to enter unrestricted free agency this summer.
The price to retain his services is a priority for the Mavs. Over the first four games of the Mavs' first-round series against the Utah Jazz, he averaged 29.8 points and 4.8 assists per game, highlighted by 41- and 31-point performances.
If he heard cha-ching every time one of his jumpers or southpaw floaters splashed through the net during a tied series, who could blame him?
The former 33rd overall pick, who is making $1.8 million in the final season of his contract, insists his next contract isn't on his mind as he tries to help the Mavs make it to the second round.
Not at all. Not at all. I promise you, but I don't want to talk about it until the season is over. That is not going to help me right now. I am aware of it being a weird situation. People don't believe that I don't talk about it, but it's not a topic of conversation until we get there.
It is not a surprising answer for the son of a former NBA journeyman and assistant coach.
He is boring to interview. Rick says that he learned that from Jay Wright, who was the coach at the time of the National Player of the Year honor. It is a Villanova thing. He was programmed by Jay Wright.
He didn't get that from me.
His dad, who played for eight teams in his nine NBA seasons, never on a guaranteed contract, did get the renowned dedication from his son.
The grind was so real for Rick Brunson that he had to work out at a gym nearby if he wanted to take a family vacation. He spent his pro career in survival mode, always trying to make a team and never taking days off.
The work ethic comes from watching him and then being able to work out with him during the summer.
He always told me he had the answers to the tests. He was the study guide.
But the willingness to let down his guard during an interview? That was not passed down from father to son. Rick Brunson is the best person to ask about the pending free agency.
We have to figure out if Dallas wants him. Rick Brunson says not words. Don't put it on us. Don't tell me you love me. Show me.
The New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons are expected to pursue him. Others could emerge.
Mark Cuban, the governor of the Mavericks, has stated that he plans to re-sign Brunson and that the price tag has become more expensive, which would push Dallas into the luxury tax. The Mavs can give him a five-year deal because they have his Bird rights. Dallas would not have salary-cap space if he left.
The Mavs could have signed Brunson to a four-year extension for as much as $55.5 million before the season, but they didn't. He was coming off a disappointing first playoff series of his career, as former Mavs coach Rick Carlisle cut his minutes in the final few games of the seven-game exit against the LA Clippers.
At the start of training camp, Brunson said that it sat with him all summer.
The Mavs weren't willing to make that commitment when Brunson was thriving after moving from sixth man to starter. If a trade for a star were to happen, the Mavs would be handcuffed from including Brunson. The extension was offered by Dallas immediately after the trade deadline.
Rick Brunson said that he told the Mavericks that there was no contract talk once the season started. I thought he did enough to get the extension. I told him to take the money and he wanted security. He wants to live here. They declined.
He didn't turn down. All declined first. We just want to finish out the season and go from there.
Compete for $40,000 in the NBA playoffs. Pick your favorites.
By the trade deadline, it was clear that Brunson, who averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists per game with a 58.3% true shooting percentage this season, would command more than $50 million on the open market. The son says that his father did not score as many points as he did this season.
NBA pro personnel scouts and executives believe that the floor for the next contract will be an average annual salary of $20 million. The high end of the estimates is around $25 million per year.
The coach of the Mavericks said after the game that he was going to make a lot of money.
All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, one of several Jazz defenders who have been burned by Brunson this series, dismissed the notion that his success in this series has been shocking. The man can go.
Utah coach Quin Snyder has a lot of praise for Brunson. The strength of the 6-foot-1 and 190-pound Brunson is helping him create space in the paint, where he is an elite finisher despite his lack of height.
Ja Morant and Doncic had a higher shooting percentage inside five feet this season than the rest of the guards with at least 200 attempts. In the five- to nine-foot range, he was the most prolific and efficient scorer with a 53.9% efficiency rate.
That has carried over into this series, where Brunson has scored 46 points on 50% shooting on those floaters and short jumpers, some despite contests from three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.
Kidd said that what he did in Game 2 was not what he would do going forward. He has shown that he deserves to be paid. He does his job well and is a winner.
If the price is right, it makes sense for Brunson to stay in Dallas.
He is comfortable in his role, being able to shift between playing off of Doncic and being the primary ball handler. Kidd frequently mentioned getting him paid as a goal when discussing Brunson. The culture of the Dallas team has been created by the influence of Brunson, whose "The vibes are flawless" slogan has caught on with Mavs fans.
I have been with these guys for four years and I have loved every second of it.
According to league sources, the Pistons see how well Brunson fits with Doncic and envision him enhancing the talents of the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft, Cade Cunningham.
The NBA playoffs began Saturday and run through June, when the league will crown a champion for its milestone season.
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