If Ballmer or Lacob was the owner of the Mavs, there would be no discussion about this Brunson deal. They would do everything they could do to keep him. Losing talent without the ability to replace it is very bad when it comes to winning. This move is very good for Cuban's pockets, but not for winning a championship. The opportunity cost of keeping Brunson is almost entirely on Cuban's pockets. I understand that team owners face the dilemma between the desire to win and the desire to be even more rich, but I personally don't give a damn about how rich they are. It is really bad when Ryan Smith chooses his wealth over winning because I only care about the latter. OTOH, it is also good for the Jazz when their competitors make the same decision. The Mavs are much worse off without Brunson than with him when it comes to winning.