"Was Kyrie a better option than Brunson?" - Stephen A. Smith suspects Luka Doncic & Mavericks fumbled to spot MVP in Jalen Brunson

Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson became more than just teammates in the four years that the two were playing together on the Dallas Mavericks. Together, the pair not only helped take the Dallas Mavericks to the next level in the form of a Western Conference run, but also built a close friendship.

Given that, when Brunson and the Mavericks parted ways, many were left floored. Since then, the player has managed to take his game to the next level in New York, averaging a career-high 26.7 points, and 6.5 assists per game. He also managed to help turn the Knicks into true contenders in the East.

On the flip side, the Dallas Mavericks have struggled to find their rhythm. After trading for Kyrie Irving late last season, the team fell out of playoff contention. This season, amid a slew of absences from Irving, the Mavericks have struggled to stay consistent.

The way Stephen A. Smith sees things, in hindsight, Dallas should have kept Jalen Brunson. He said on a recent episode of First Take:

"We have brought up Brunson in New York. We looked at Milwaukee and held Giannis accountable. Do we hold Luka accountable for not insisting that Dallas keep Brunson? And not only that question, do we also look at the Dallas Mavericks and ask this question, was Kyrie a better option than Brunson?"

Looking at the case for keeping Jalen Brunson in Dallas with Luka Doncic vs trading for Kyrie Irving

Throughout the past few seasons, the belief has been that Luka Doncic likely needs a co-star in Dallas if the team wants to make a big post-season run. While they had hoped that trading for Kyrie Irving would give Luka Doncic the assistance he needs, so far, that doesn't appear to be the case.

This season, Irving has played in just 27 games and averaged 25.2 points per game, his lowest since the 2018-19 season. But at the same time, he's also averaging 47.25 from the field, and a career-high 41.1% from downtown. Additionally, he's also averaging 5.1rpg, 5.3apg, and 1.3spg, with both numbers being on-par with recent seasons.

On the flip side, Jalen Brunson has played in 45 games for the Knicks this season, taking his game to the next level by averaging a career-high 26.7ppg. He's also averaging 3.9rpg and a career-high 6.5apg, while shooting 48.1% from the field and a career-high 42.4% from downtown.

Given the numbers, and the availability of both men, Smith seems unconvinced by the trade.

"When they had Brunson, they were in the conference finals. You didn't make the playoffs last year, so we gonna see. I'm looking at Dallas, and I'm looking at Luka, who we all love and knows a superstar, but damn. Should you have insisted that Jalen Brunson be kept in Dallas?"

With the second half of the season underway, only time will tell how things play out for Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.