Brunson clearly a priority to Cuban, Dallas

With Dallas now done for the season following Thursday’s loss to Golden State in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, Mavericks brass is now looking ahead to the future — and who will be part of the team.

Speaking to Marc Stein after Golden State defeated Dallas, 120-110, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban expressed his desire to retain soon-to-be free agent Jalen Brunson, making it clear Dallas will go all-in to keep him.

“We can pay him more than anybody,” Cuban said in a video from Bally Sports Southwest.

“I think he wants to stay and that’s most important. I think, again, J-Kidd [head coach Jason Kidd] has a big part to play in that, I think J.B. blossomed as a player, as much as anybody on the squad, you know, from where he was last year to how far he came this year, is a tribute to Jalen and how hard he worked,” he continued.

Though the Mavericks clearly don’t want to let Brunson, 25, go, a potential freeagency sweepstakes could emerge if other teams yearn for the point guard’s services. The Knicks possibly could target the New Brunswick, N.J., native, making for a possible homecoming if New York somehow manages to lure him away from Dallas.

Brunson, who the Mavericks selected in the second round of the NBA Draft back in 2018, averaged 16.3 points per game through 79 regular-season games. During

the playoffs, he averaged 21.6 points per game, recording 10 points with two rebounds and four assists in Thursday’s loss to the Warriors, who now advance to the NBA Finals.

When asked about looking ahead and what free agency may look like to him, Brunson said postgame he’s “not worried about it right now.”

“When it’s time, it’s time. When it happens, it happens,” he said. “I’m not worried about it right now. Honestly at this point, how I feel, I’m really happy that I got to play with these guys and the things that we did this year. That’s all I’m really focused on right now and thinking about. I’ll think about that later.”