Getty Tim Hardaway Jr.
The Dallas Mavericks have discussed trading Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Detroit Pistons for a Houston native, according to The Stein Line’s Marc Stein.
“Detroit has emerged as a potential trade destination for Dallas’ Tim Hardaway Jr.,” Stein tweeted on June 25. “A full potential trade construction has not yet emerged, but league sources say there have been scenarios discussed in which Quentin Grimes would land in Dallas.”
Detroit has emerged as a potential trade destination for Dallas’ Tim Hardaway Jr., league sources tell @TheSteinLine.
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Days earlier, Stein reported that the Mavericks were attempting to unload Hardaway, whom they acquired from the New York Knicks in 2019.
“League sources say that the Mavericks will promptly resume their long-running search for a trade partner to take Hardaway on,” Stein wrote June 22 in his Substack column, “which is more likely than ever to come to fruition with the 32-year-old now entering the final season of his current contract and with his salary declining from $17.9 million in 2023-24 to $16.2 million in 2024-25.”
Hardaway has had an up-and-down tenure with the Mavericks, thriving enough for the Mavericks to give him an extension in 2021. However, since then, Hardaway hasn’t done much in the last two substantial Mavericks playoff runs, in 2022 and 2024. He didn’t play in 2022 because of an injury and appeared in only 14 of the Mavericks’ 22 playoff games in 2024.
Quentin Grimes Would Save the Mavericks About $12 Million in 2024-25
The Pistons acquired Grimes from the Knicks at the 2024 NBA trade deadline for Bojan Bogdanovic.
Grimes, 24, averaged 7.0 points in 20.1 minutes per game, appearing in 51 games last season, but in only six for Detroit. Grimes regressed in his third year after scoring 11.3 points in 29.9 minutes per game in 2022-23. His field goal percentage plummeted from his second year to his year, from 46.8% in 2022-23 to 37.2% last season.
, he will make $4.3 million for the 2024-25 season. Acquiring Grimes for Hardaway would save the Mavericks about $12 million next year.
Why the Mavericks Want to Trade Tim Hardaway Jr.
Stein explained why the Mavericks are motivated to get rid of Hardaway’s contract. It’s not just because of his lack of production knowing what the Mavericks have to pay him. It’s because they want to keep someone who proved to be more useful.
“Finding a new home for Hardaway is a key element of Dallas’ strategy to re-sign Derrick Jones Jr., whose return next season after excelling on a minimum contract this season was labeled by Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison as ‘priority 1A and 1B’ for Dallas this offseason.”
The Mavericks relied on Jones more than they did on Hardaway during the 2023-24 season. That was even more apparent in the postseason. Jones appeared in every single playoff game the Mavericks played. In fact, he started every single playoff game he played for the Mavericks.
He also had his best overall playoff performance in Dallas. In 22 games, Jones averaged 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, all of which were career-highs. He also shot 48.1% from the field and 36.9% from three.
His performance will garner him a bigger market this offseason. If the Mavericks trade Hardaway to open up cap room, that would be a sign of confidence that they believe Jones will stay.