With Knicks draft pick in the balance, Luka Doncic says Mavericks miss ‘amazing player’ Jalen Brunson

The Dallas Mavericks are currently in a tailspin, losing 10 of their last 13 games, to find themselves 37-42 on the year and on the outside looking in at the current Western Conference playoff picture.

The Mavs surprised many by reaching the Western Conference Finals last season, and they came into the 2022-23 campaign with high hopes. But things have fallen apart as of late for Dallas, and it’s fair to say that the loss of Jalen Brunson has played a role.

Brunson, who was fantastic for the Mavericks in last year’s playoff run when Luka Doncic missed some time, has played at an All-Star Level during his first season in New York, averaging career bests in points (24.0) and assists (6.2) per game, while putting himself firmly in the Most Improved Player Award conversation.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Doncic admitted that losing Brunson has taken a toll on the Mavs, noting the team’s chemistry hasn’t been the same as it was last season.

“A lot,” Doncic answered when asked about how much Brunson is missed, via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I mean, amazing guy, amazing player, for sure.”

Seeing Brunson rise to stardom in New York has even more added frustration for the Mavericks, who could potentially be sending their first-round pick to the Knicks thanks to the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

Here’s the current scenario: The Mavs’ first-round pick this year is Top-10 protected, so if the Mavs end up picking in the Top 10 picks, they keep their pick. If that picks falls anywhere 11-30, the Knicks get the pick.

Currently, the Mavs would pick 10^th (though the lottery is involved, of course), according to Tankathon.

Dallas is one game behind Oklahoma City for the final Play-In spot, but the Thunder own the tiebreaker. The Thunder also currently hold the 11^th pick.

So, if the Mavs manage to leapfrog the Thunder and get into the playoffs, that would likely mean the Knicks would end up with the 11^th pick in the draft, a dream scenario for New York.

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The Mavs have three games left in their regular season, and while Shams Charania of The Athletic reported earlier this week that the organization is “strongly considering” shutting down both Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Doncic told reporters that he’s planning on playing as long as the team hasn’t been eliminated.

“I’m playing tomorrow [against Sacramento],” Doncic said, via MacMahon. “When there’s still a chance, I’m going to play.”

So Dallas finds themselves in a real conundrum: Make the playoffs and all but certainly lose their first-round pick, or miss the playoffs and keep it.

You can bet the Knicks are watching closely.