Even in Spain, Jalen Brunson remains tied to teammates, both former and

FUENGIROLA, Spain — It has been nearly 13 months to the day since Jalen Brunson made the final decision to leave Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks behind for the New York Knicks, but there is a good reason to bring it up again.

Say what you will about the twists and turns that led to Brunson signing that four-year, $104 million deal with the Knicks last summer, but he is close with Dončić, and playing together was a factor in Brunson wanting to stay in Dallas.

For just the second time since the breakup, Brunson and Dončić are scheduled to play against each other Saturday, when Team USA plays Slovenia in Malaga, Spain.

“That’s my brother,” Brunson said of Dončić. “We got drafted together. I’ve been watching him grow since meeting him for the first time, seeing the player he is now. He’s gotten better and better each year to the point where he’s a top-five player, an MVP candidate, year in and year out, so whenever I get a chance to share the court with him, either with him or against him, it’s always been special. I’ve got nothing but love for him.”

We can’t quite say this second Brunson-Dončić matchup is definitely happening. Slovenian coach Aleksander Sekulić told The Athletic “of course” he intends to play Dončić against the U.S. on Saturday, even though the Slovenians play Spain on Friday night. The American coaches saw Sekulić’s comments but remain skeptical Slovenia would actually play Dončić on consecutive nights in exhibition games.

Brunson didn’t play in the Knicks’ only trip to Dallas last season, but when the Mavericks came to New York on Dec. 30, Dončić put up 30 points against Brunson’s 13 in a big win for the Knicks.

The Mavericks failed to keep Brunson, who said he would have agreed to the four-year, $56 million contract extension he was eligible for in 2021-22. Dallas owner Mark Cuban has argued the franchise didn’t get the chance to negotiate with him before he left for New York; but the Mavs’ valuation of Brunson was obviously lower than what Brunson and the Knicks felt it was. The pill has been a bitter one for Dončić and the Mavericks, who went to the conference finals with Dončić and Brunson playing together then failed to make the playoffs last season while Brunson steered New York into the second round.

In the meantime, Brunson said he and Dončić have continued to speak, including in the run-up to this possible rematch.

“We haven’t really talked about the game or playing against each other, but we talk every now and then, always try to check up on each other,” Brunson said. “I just know he’s a competitor. Everyone obviously knows what he’s capable of. … Obviously when we’re playing and we aren’t teammates, we aren’t friends, but off the court, it’s (a) special (relationship).”

Brunson is the Team USA starting point guard and is coming off an 11-point, 12-rebound performance against Puerto Rico. He was one of the first players…