MAVERICKS TRADE TIM HARDAWAY JR. AND PICKS TO PISTONS FOR QUENTIN GRIMES
The Mavericks and Pistons have agreed on a trade that will send veteran wing Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks to Detroit in exchange for swingman Quentin Grimes, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Wojnarowski adds that Toronto’s 2025 second-round pick and a pair of 2028 second-rounders will be the three draft assets. Dallas has previously traded away its own 2028 second-rounder, but it controls Miami’s pick and the least favorable of the Clippers’ and Hornets’ selections for that year, so those figure to be the ones headed to the Pistons.
Marc Stein first mentioned this deal as a possibility on Tuesday. He wrote that finding a deal involving Hardaway was considered a “key element” of the Mavericks’ plan to re-sign starting small forward Derrick Jones. Dallas only holds Non-Bird rights on Jones and can’t offer him a contract worth more than 20% above the minimum without dipping into its mid-level exception.
By moving off of Hardaway’s $16.2M expiring contract and taking back Grimes (who will make about $4.3M next season), Dallas will create upwards of $15M in breathing room below the first tax apron, reports cap expert Yossi Gozlan, putting the club in a position to use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception (projected to be worth about $12.9M) on Jones or another player.
Besides creating financial flexibility, the Mavs will also receive an intriguing young three-and-D player in Grimes, who showed promise in 2022-23 by averaging 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 29.9 minutes per game (71 games), with a .468/.386/.796 shooting line. He saw his minutes cut back in New York last season, and a knee injury limited him to just six games after he was acquired by Detroit in February.
Grimes, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason as he enters the final year of his rookie contract, also drew trade interest from the Heat and Hawks, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Meanwhile, new Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has spoken openly about his club’s willingness to take on unwanted contracts if they’re attached to more valuable assets. While the previous front office regime appeared to view Grimes as a potential keeper, Langdon prioritized the draft picks he’ll receive in this swap.
Hardaway’s value as a player should also not be overlooked. He’s coming off a season in which he averaged 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 26.8 minutes per game across 79 appearances, with a shooting line of .402/.353/.852. After he played a limited role in the playoffs, though, there had been a sense that his days with Dallas were numbered.
It’s unclear if the Pistons intend to keep Hardaway heading into the 2024-25 season, but the team reportedly has been interested in adding veterans and shooting this summer, making THJ a potential fit. He’s a career 36.0% three-point shooter.
Detroit is still projected to have about $50M in cap room after taking on Hardaway’s contract, reports ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
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