At this time last year, Jalen Brunson thought he would be a Maverick for life. Or, at the least, through his next contract. He was enjoying life in Dallas and expected to sign a contract extension with the team that selected him in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft and developed him into a strong NBA player. But the offer didn’t come until after the trade deadline. By then, the former Villanova star, 25, was enjoying a breakout season.