Less than 24 hours after the NBA Draft came to a close, the Dallas Mavericks dealt shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Detroit Pistons.
The Mavericks are sending Hardaway and three second-round picks to the Pistons in exchange for Quentin Grimes.
From a financial standpoint, this move is a no-brainer for the Mavericks since Hardaway is due $16.2 million next season. Grimes, meanwhile, is only due $4.3 million for the 2024-25 season.
It’s not a surprise the Mavericks were willing to move on from Hardaway, especially after he played a minimal role in the postseason for them.
In the regular season, Hardaway averaged 14.4 points per game. In the playoffs, however, his playing time was basically cut in half. As a result, he only averaged 4.4 points per contest.
The hope for Dallas is that Grimes can replace Hardaway’s shooting at a fraction of the price. The former first-round pick from Houston has knocked don 37.1 percent of his 3-pointers since entering the league in 2021.
It’s also important to note that trading away Hardaway will allow the Mavericks to utilize part of the $12.9 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception this offseason.
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