Jalen Brunson has been one of the NBA’s biggest breakout stars of the postseason, and his rise came just when the Dallas Mavericks needed it most.
The fourth-year guard out of Villanova was already established as an important piece in his team’s lineup, but with Luka Doncic out the first three games of their series against the Utah Jazz, he took his game up a notch. After averaging a career-best 16.3 points in the regular season, he’s averaging 29.8 through four playoff games. That includes 41 and 31 in Games 2 and 3, both wins for the Mavs.
These performances are going to earn him a huge payday as an unrestricted free agent this summer. NBA pro personnel scouts and executives polled for an ESPN story anticipate a floor of $20 million annually for Brunson, who played this season on a $1.8 million salary. But first he has at least two more playoff games to continue building his stock, and I think he will.
