Trade Proposal Would Land Mavericks All-Star Forward For 2 Wings

Gordon Hayward, anyone?

In its latest round of interesting hypothetical NBA trades, the folks at Bleacher Report set out to create some “new Big Threes” across the league and the Mavericks, sitting on a Big Two of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, were given the trade-machine treatment. And the finishing touch to their trio was Hayward, the 31-year-old star wing currently with the Hornets.

Here is the deal, as constructed by writer Grant Hughes:

Dallas Mavericks Receive: Gordon Hayward

Charlotte Hornets Receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith

As Hughes wrote, “The Mavs are giving up two starters for one here, sacrificing Hardaway’s instant offense and Finney-Smith’s clampdown defense for a slightly overpaid 31-year-old with a history of missing time because of injury. What could go wrong?”

Not much from a Dallas perspective, it seems. Even with the remaining $92 million over the next three years on Hayward’s contract, you’d have to think the Mavericks would leap at the chance to make a deal like this. Hardaway, after all, was recently demoted to the bench and Finney-Smith, as good of a 3-and-D guy as he has been, is replaceable in the rotation.

And real Mavs fans surely remember this:

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Gordon Hayward Would Be an Excellent Fit in Dallas

A player like Hayward would absolutely be a fit in Dallas and address one of the team’s biggest holes—the need for a secondary ballhandler. Hayward is not a point guard, but he is not a guy who can be pigeonholed as a wing, either. He has averaged 3.5 assists per game in 12 NBA seasons and has seen his 3-point accuracy steadily rise, too. He is making 39.6% of his shots from the arc this year.

That makes Hayward an ideal threat next to Doncic. Hayward is a guy who can attack and finish at the rim (he takes 22.4% of his shots within three feet of the basket and makes 68.9% of them, according to Basketball-Reference.com) and knock down enough 3s to keep defenses honest. That allows him the space to create for others.

The Mavs want a player who can give Doncic a break from ballhandling and give him the chance to play off the ball more, as a means of preserving his energy within a game and within a season. It helps, too, that Hayward can play multiple positions—he can be slotted in at the 4 in small lineups and is capable of playing the 3 or 2, as well.

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Would Charlotte Really Make This Trade?

Now for the cold water on this deal: It’s probably not enough for Charlotte. While it’s a nifty exercise to create a Big Three in Dallas from afar, there’s little to say the Hornets would go along with it. Hayward, remember, was not just any free-agent acquisition—he was one of the biggest additions the franchise has made in its history.

Hardaway is a proven scorer, but a mostly one-dimensional player. Finney-Smith is a top-of-the line 3-and-D player but you don’t go and give away your team’s landmark signing for a pair of good-not-great wings. Were Dallas to add a first-round pick or a big guy (can we interest you in Dwight Powell?), maybe the Hornets could be persuaded, but as it stands, it’d take more to get Hayward to Dallas.

Let that third-star search continue for the Mavericks.

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