Jalen Brunson Rumors: Mavs Unwilling to Pay PG More Than $22M Per Season

The Dallas Mavericks' price point to re-sign guard Jalen Brunson is reportedly about $22 million per year, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

Per Grant Asfeth of Dallas Basketball, the max offer the Mavs can make to Brunson is worth five years and $175.45 million.

The New York Knicks are reportedly in hot pursuit of Brunson, to the point where Tim Cato of The Athletic reported Tuesday that the Mavs have "anticipated" the ex-Villanova star leaving for "weeks," to the point where it's "seen as a certainty" that he will leave town for the Big Apple.

Longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein also tweeted Tuesday that "there is a growing resignation in Dallas, sources say, that the Knicks are indeed Brunson's top choice and his inevitable destination."

All the signs point to that happening. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski revealed that the Knicks have cleared nearly $30 million in cap space to sign Brunson to close to a max contract:

They notably traded Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday to clear $19 million in salary, per Wojnarowski. The Knicks also dealt point guard Kemba Walker to the Pistons last Thursday to clear another $9 million.

Per SNY's Ian Begley, the Knicks can offer Brunson a max deal of four years and $131 million.

Brunson, 25, averaged 16.3 points on 50.2 percent shooting, 4.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds last year in his fourth NBA season. He's played his entire NBA career with the Mavs, who selected him with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2018 draft.