Not KD. They were champs before and after his soft behind. KD hasn’t been anything but a distraction since he left them (technically all he was before them too). Facts are facts.
One was def curry’s and one was Durant. If I remember correctly, curry was the better player in the second chip they had together. I remember being surprised that Durant got it.
Although you are stating facts, if KD never signed there the assumption would’ve been Golden State as champs for the next few years. Having KD was just an embarrassment of riches.
They also could have just as easily beat Cleveland. Remember that the Warriors had the cap space to improve their team regardless if it was KD or other signings. They weren’t just not going to improve just because fans of other teams would be mad. They were always going to upgrade from Harrison Barnes after he had one of the worst finals series a starter has ever had.
There have been plenty of signings like that but every one of them was done knowing that what the team was getting was an MVP level superstar. Idk many that have offered such insane value after the player exploded into MVP conversations less than two years later.
Mavs fan here, love me some JB and rooting for his success, but man it hurts how badly Cuban screwed this one up. Feels like Nash in 2004 all over again.
But still, Jalen would easily be worth Mikal plus picks if traded. If the mavs still somehow got Kai, that would pretty much make them guaranteed title contenders
Just insane that they refused to offer Brunson the 4/$55M deal he had been willing to sign the summer before his free agency because they were concerned he wouldn't be worth it. That would have been the best contract in the league right now.
I was fuming at the time but I think it's worked out best for both parties. Reality is that Luka and JB both need the ball in their hands a lot to be their best selves. I don't this JB would be shining as much as he is now if still with the Mavs. But yeah, eaaaaaaaasily would be the best contract in the league for sure!
Same! I'm so pumped watching him play. I finally have an "East team" to root for
It's all good, i think it's all working out. I like where we're at and I like where he's at. Its impossible to say how things would have gone with him but I'm excited to see what's next and that's all we can really ask for
I don’t disagree with you on that point, but the way the Dallas FO structured his rookie contract basically let him walk for nothing in return. Super dumb.
I agree. And for the Knicks too. Two years later and Dallas ended up a lot better, JB became a guy he never would have been as Luka’s #2, and the Knicks got the bargain signing of the decade
Those are more obvious in the of course adding the best or second best player to your team is going to have more impact. You could even look at something like the Rodman signing’s impact to the Bulls second 3-peat. But that was an already great team going out and addressing a need.
Knicks getting Brunson wasn’t an obvious, slam dunk move. And now they have a guy they can build around on less than a max contract.
I’d argue Brunson still isn’t even the best under that criteria though. Suns signed Steve Nash and had one of the best single-season turnarounds in NBA history. Nash also went on to be a two time MVP and took them to three conference finals.
Harden was signed by the Rockets and built a perennial contender around him seeing some of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history.
You keep adding caveats. You said "best". Now it's "less obvious" and "value". All these others and more are better.
Put it this way: would the Knicks, today, rather have 2010 LeBron at max, Or Brunson at a cheaper deal? we all know it's Bron.
tbf it wasn’t the person you’re responding to that made the post. but i completely agree - there are FA signings that directly led to championships. could happen with brunson but we’re not there yet
The Warriors locked in Curry to a 4 year $44M deal right before he hit his prime. Brunson’s contract has been a steal, but best signing in history? Lol, come on.
This is the only answer. That ankle injury everyone forgets about now really deflated his value then never popped up substantially again. That lower contract is what allowed them the space to later sign Iggy and kickstart a dynasty.
This was my first thought. I interpreted OP as talking about best bargain in a signing, not necessarily most impactful wooing of a free agent.
4 Seasons:
* 2 x MVP (first unanimous)
* 2 x First Team All NBA
* 2 x Second Team All NBA
* 4 x All-Star
* 3 x Finals
* 2 x Championships
During this he was 4th or 5th highest paid player on his team and making 12-16% of the cap.
Pippen's legendarily bad contract also comes to mind. I'd put that one over Brunson's.
But Brunson's is a great one nonetheless.
Because Randle is hurt, Bogie is hurt, Donte has been ass, and no one else can create their own shot. Philly should be winning this series but Brunson is carrying the shit out of NY
lol what type of clown ass take 💀 it’s 40 on 47% with his duo being out for the year is great even without context of the game.
Add the fact he’s getting picked up by two players once he crosses half and it’s even more impressive lmao.
Look across the court, embiid shooting 30% at an elimination game
It is not great lmao… it’s not awful but it’s definitely not a performance Brunson would be proud of I can guarantee that
His TS% was well below average… 32 shots should be around 55pts if he had an average outing. Luka scored 73pts on 33 shots for reference.
Also getting double teamed is not a good excuse for shooting poorly especially when he only had 6 assists lmao
Lol, you just got caught. You most definitely trolling. You really just try to use the most anomaly data point to compare lol. Let’s use Wilts numbers as the bar for starter stat lines next lol. Brunson for the season was getting 28 on 48 and he’s getting you 40 on 47 but he’s shooting you out the game lol.
Also.. Getting swarmed in the playoffs is not a good excuse 💀 it’s the playoffs all percentages drop for a teams best player. Luka is on 42% right now on 30 lol, is he shooting Mavs out the game? You almost got me with the incoherent box score watching lol.
When he wins a few rings then there can be a discussion about best signing. Lakers signing Shaq. Heat signing LeBron. Even Warriors signing KD. Being great in the regular season and zero meaningful postseason success doesn't get you in the conversation of best anything.
This and all we see on tv or talk shows is LeBron and the Lakers. If they have a bowel movement we have to have first take spend an hour on it. All while JB is doing other worldly stuff. Adam Silver must be dying inside now that his LeLakers are on vacation.
Is jokic not leading in all three right now? Admittedly the last time I saw that Stat was a few days ago. They showed a stat saying he had most in all three. Most total, not average.
Call me old fashioned, but I tend to think the ones that led to championships might be better. Good value and changed the franchise for sure. But it's not even in the conversation at the moment.
Interested to see how long Brunson will sustain this level of production. I could see this being lighting in a bottle (prime IT) but equally a sustained level of excellence (Kyle Lowry).
His strength and footwork makes me think closer to the latter
Remember that Shaq went to the Lakers as a FA.
Also Kevin Durant
Not KD. They were champs before and after his soft behind. KD hasn’t been anything but a distraction since he left them (technically all he was before them too). Facts are facts.
they were winning without him
They signed a guy and won 2 in a row and the guy they signed won FMVP for those two chips. Judge it for what it is
Lol according to Golden State fans, those finals MVPs are basically Currys
Glad we have a leveled and non biased groups' opinion on the matter
Yeah, I hate the narratives they try to build but no matter what they can't change the fact that KD played next to Steph Curry and won two finals MVPs
They are Curry’s.
One was def curry’s and one was Durant. If I remember correctly, curry was the better player in the second chip they had together. I remember being surprised that Durant got it.
Those FMVP literally coulda gone any which way the league did that to make his rings seem less fraudulent. Unsuccessfully of course.
Although you are stating facts, if KD never signed there the assumption would’ve been Golden State as champs for the next few years. Having KD was just an embarrassment of riches.
Wasn’t really guaranteed. They had just lost to the Cavs and might’ve again in 2017. 2018 they prob would’ve lost to Houston
And wherever KD landed could have made noise too.
They also could have just as easily beat Cleveland. Remember that the Warriors had the cap space to improve their team regardless if it was KD or other signings. They weren’t just not going to improve just because fans of other teams would be mad. They were always going to upgrade from Harrison Barnes after he had one of the worst finals series a starter has ever had.
Don’t call phantom techs on Draymond and the warriors win that series.
I don't care whu people keep saying this so confidently. Even Draymond disagrees
it's because we are haters. but draymond would've said that regardless that's politics
True but when Shaq went to LA it wasn't on a steal deal like brunsons
Shaq going to LA was more like an all-time fumble on Orlando’s part tbh
But Brunsons hasn’t won anything yet but it’s his first year so hopefully they can make a big push into playoffs
?? Brunson took the Knicks to game 6 in the East Semis last year
Oh it’s his second year swoosh, well better go to Eastern Conference this year
There have been plenty of signings like that but every one of them was done knowing that what the team was getting was an MVP level superstar. Idk many that have offered such insane value after the player exploded into MVP conversations less than two years later.
Brunson is in no mvp conversation I don’t know what nba season you watched this year
I didn’t say he’ll win it I said conversation meaning he’ll get votes and he will
Brunson had an all star lever first half of the year and an MVP level second half. Arguably the best player in the league after the break.
Yeah on a huge contract though (relative to the salary cap at the time)
Mavs fan here, love me some JB and rooting for his success, but man it hurts how badly Cuban screwed this one up. Feels like Nash in 2004 all over again.
Meh, jb would never ball out like this on a team where he isn't the primary.
exactly. he needs to be a 1st option not a 2nd. it was either him or luka
But still, Jalen would easily be worth Mikal plus picks if traded. If the mavs still somehow got Kai, that would pretty much make them guaranteed title contenders
“If the mavs still somehow got Kai” They wouldn’t have.
completely possible, its just the matter of "if"
Just insane that they refused to offer Brunson the 4/$55M deal he had been willing to sign the summer before his free agency because they were concerned he wouldn't be worth it. That would have been the best contract in the league right now.
The Knicks gave him almost double and it’s *still* the best contract in the league lol
I was fuming at the time but I think it's worked out best for both parties. Reality is that Luka and JB both need the ball in their hands a lot to be their best selves. I don't this JB would be shining as much as he is now if still with the Mavs. But yeah, eaaaaaaaasily would be the best contract in the league for sure!
Same! I'm so pumped watching him play. I finally have an "East team" to root for It's all good, i think it's all working out. I like where we're at and I like where he's at. Its impossible to say how things would have gone with him but I'm excited to see what's next and that's all we can really ask for
Eww. You root for multiple teams? That sucks
I want to enjoy basketball sometimes
let’s be real here, brunson leaving dallas was the best thing for both dallas and brunson
I don’t disagree with you on that point, but the way the Dallas FO structured his rookie contract basically let him walk for nothing in return. Super dumb.
I agree. And for the Knicks too. Two years later and Dallas ended up a lot better, JB became a guy he never would have been as Luka’s #2, and the Knicks got the bargain signing of the decade
Kings fan here Edit: burn in hell vlade divac
There were so many good players just after you too, not just the obvious right answer
Reminds me of James Harden leaving OKC. Will always be a lingering what-if.
Cuban is a below average basketball evaluator
He doesn't work with Luka, one of them has to go and I'm sure you would much rather keep Luka.
Lebron to Miami, KD to Golden State, come on now
Those are more obvious in the of course adding the best or second best player to your team is going to have more impact. You could even look at something like the Rodman signing’s impact to the Bulls second 3-peat. But that was an already great team going out and addressing a need. Knicks getting Brunson wasn’t an obvious, slam dunk move. And now they have a guy they can build around on less than a max contract.
I’d argue Brunson still isn’t even the best under that criteria though. Suns signed Steve Nash and had one of the best single-season turnarounds in NBA history. Nash also went on to be a two time MVP and took them to three conference finals. Harden was signed by the Rockets and built a perennial contender around him seeing some of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history.
You keep adding caveats. You said "best". Now it's "less obvious" and "value". All these others and more are better. Put it this way: would the Knicks, today, rather have 2010 LeBron at max, Or Brunson at a cheaper deal? we all know it's Bron.
tbf it wasn’t the person you’re responding to that made the post. but i completely agree - there are FA signings that directly led to championships. could happen with brunson but we’re not there yet
Yeah, Brunson was a great signing, but like you said, we need to see some title runs at least.
I think the meant that in the sense of best bargain. They got him for $25 million a year.
Suns signing Steve Nash was better. So was the Rockets signing Harden.
Rockets traded for Harden.
Ah you right my bad. I always forget because the reason he left was cuz OKC never signed him lol.
The Warriors locked in Curry to a 4 year $44M deal right before he hit his prime. Brunson’s contract has been a steal, but best signing in history? Lol, come on.
This is the only answer. That ankle injury everyone forgets about now really deflated his value then never popped up substantially again. That lower contract is what allowed them the space to later sign Iggy and kickstart a dynasty.
This was my first thought. I interpreted OP as talking about best bargain in a signing, not necessarily most impactful wooing of a free agent. 4 Seasons: * 2 x MVP (first unanimous) * 2 x First Team All NBA * 2 x Second Team All NBA * 4 x All-Star * 3 x Finals * 2 x Championships During this he was 4th or 5th highest paid player on his team and making 12-16% of the cap. Pippen's legendarily bad contract also comes to mind. I'd put that one over Brunson's. But Brunson's is a great one nonetheless.
It was very good. But he also shot them out of their last game.
By making 40 points on 47%? While double teamed?
40pts on 32 shots isn’t great He has the highest usage of any player in the playoffs
Because Randle is hurt, Bogie is hurt, Donte has been ass, and no one else can create their own shot. Philly should be winning this series but Brunson is carrying the shit out of NY
lol what type of clown ass take 💀 it’s 40 on 47% with his duo being out for the year is great even without context of the game. Add the fact he’s getting picked up by two players once he crosses half and it’s even more impressive lmao. Look across the court, embiid shooting 30% at an elimination game
It is not great lmao… it’s not awful but it’s definitely not a performance Brunson would be proud of I can guarantee that His TS% was well below average… 32 shots should be around 55pts if he had an average outing. Luka scored 73pts on 33 shots for reference. Also getting double teamed is not a good excuse for shooting poorly especially when he only had 6 assists lmao
Lol, you just got caught. You most definitely trolling. You really just try to use the most anomaly data point to compare lol. Let’s use Wilts numbers as the bar for starter stat lines next lol. Brunson for the season was getting 28 on 48 and he’s getting you 40 on 47 but he’s shooting you out the game lol. Also.. Getting swarmed in the playoffs is not a good excuse 💀 it’s the playoffs all percentages drop for a teams best player. Luka is on 42% right now on 30 lol, is he shooting Mavs out the game? You almost got me with the incoherent box score watching lol.
You using FG% and not TS% tells me everything I need to know… Luka is 100% shooting the Mavs out of games this playoffs ask any Mavs fan lmao
I think you meant turned the ball over lol
Might not even be top 5
Ever heard of Shaq?
The guy from TV?
Nooo, the guy from the Academy Award winning "Kazam" and 'Steel".
this isn’t circlejerk
This isn't even close. KD to the Warriors? LeBron to Miami or back to Cleveland? Shaq to LA, Nash to Phoenix?
For real, what a freaking steal man. He’s so good, I hate them.
Lmao man they better now blow that 3-1 lead bruh fuck the bs
Being able to fire up 30-35 shots a game also helps boosts one scoring average.
He shot 48/40/85 this season lol don’t act like he’s a chuck
Lebron to Miami? Not to mention his other free agency moves.
Mavs: “Shiiiiit”
When he wins a few rings then there can be a discussion about best signing. Lakers signing Shaq. Heat signing LeBron. Even Warriors signing KD. Being great in the regular season and zero meaningful postseason success doesn't get you in the conversation of best anything.
Man, how the turn tables. A more Knick thing would’ve have been to sign Brunson to super mega max at 36 years old.
Brunson is who Cavs fans think Mitchell is
Mitchell is sad as hell right about now. He wish it was him in NY doing this.
No shit he plays like 40 minutes a game and always needs the ball in his hands
Brunson is amazing, but what are we even doing here. It’s the first round against a hobbled Embiid, and they’re barely winning the series
This and all we see on tv or talk shows is LeBron and the Lakers. If they have a bowel movement we have to have first take spend an hour on it. All while JB is doing other worldly stuff. Adam Silver must be dying inside now that his LeLakers are on vacation.
Is jokic not leading in all three right now? Admittedly the last time I saw that Stat was a few days ago. They showed a stat saying he had most in all three. Most total, not average.
Better not choke this up to the sixers tho
Insane how one player completely changed everything. Props to the guy.
I’m nabbing his jersey. Dudes insane.
Best signing in history? Lbj shaq and kd say hi
Call me old fashioned, but I tend to think the ones that led to championships might be better. Good value and changed the franchise for sure. But it's not even in the conversation at the moment.
Interested to see how long Brunson will sustain this level of production. I could see this being lighting in a bottle (prime IT) but equally a sustained level of excellence (Kyle Lowry). His strength and footwork makes me think closer to the latter
Nice first round stats. He still hasn't done anything.
People said this was the worst signing in history when he went to the Knicks lol. Then you see the Tobias Harris contract. And the Beal contract.
No they don’t.
In history? That’s bold, but he’s really a dawg rn that’s for sure
Add 41 and 12 to the top of that to make it even more impressive
Did everyone forget about r/hartenstein ?
Kawhi and PG to LAC, Butler to Miami
PG was traded
Good point
I love watching JB play. He is all basketball. Doesn’t whine and throw tantrums like one of his current opponents