Getty Jalen Brunson, left, and Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Mavericks
The NBA’s trade deadline is just five weeks away, and it will be interesting to see how the new front office, headed by Nico Harrison in place of longtime honcho Donnie Nelson, handles his first go-around. The expectation is that the Mavericks, as a middling team in the Western Conference, will be active at the deadline, but we don’t have a track record from Harrison to base that on.
While speculation over the past year-plus has focused on big man Kristaps Porzingis, the Mavericks appear to have recommitted to him, even as he continues to struggle to stay on the floor. He has had knee, toe and back injuries this year, and is currently in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, apparently swept up in the Mavs’ current COVID-19 scourge.
Trey Burke (H&S protocols), Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons), Boban Marjanović (H&S protocols), JaQuori McLaughlin (H&S protocols), Kristaps Porzingis (H&S protocols) and Isaiah Thomas (H&S protocols) will all miss tonight’s game against Denver.
That could limit the trade options for Dallas—with one exception. And when the folks at Bleacher Report set out to find the one player on each team who should be on the trade block in the next few weeks, it was little surprise that they picked Tim Hardaway Jr.
Tim Hardaway Will Be Tough to Trade
Now, it won’t be easy to trade away Hardaway. His contract is not terrible, but it is not exactly team-friendly, either. He is also in the midst of his worst season since he came to Dallas three years ago, averaging just 14.9 points on 39.3% shooting and 33.0% 3-point shooting.
It is the second-worst season as a perimeter shooter in his career, not a good sign for a wing who has made his mark from the 3-point arc the last few seasons. Hardaway, after all, takes 56.5% of his total shots from the 3-point line.
From Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale:
Tim Hardaway Jr. is the correct call. He doesn’t provide enough self-creation to move the needle when he’s also bricking looks off the catch, and Dallas lacks the surrounding defensive talent to offset the deficit lineups featuring both he and Doncic create.
Suitors won’t be foaming at the mouth to swallow what’s left on Hardaway’s contract (three years, $53.7 million). But his deal unfolds on a declining scale, and he should pique the interest from teams that don’t need him to be the facsimile of a No. 2 or No. 3.
Hardaway Has History of Improving After All-Star Break
Part of the issue with dealing away Hardaway is that you’d be giving up an asset when it’s at a low point in value. Hardaway has struggled, but that could be an indication that he is set to bounce back with a strong second half of the season.
There is cause to believe that will be the case—in his career, Hardaway has shot the ball better (43.7% vs. 41.5%) after the All-Star break, and his scoring (13.5 points vs. 14.8 points) has risen as well.
But there is also no doubt that the Mavericks have been a stagnant team this season, even when considering how hard they’ve been hit by injury and COVID-19. A change could be needed with the team, and it won’t be Luka Doncic or Porzingis who hit the exits. That leaves Hardaway on the trade block.
If, that is, the Mavs can find a team willing to give up something for him.