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Jonas Valanciunas would land with the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr. and three future second-round picks in a mock trade proposal from The Smoking Cuban’s Tyler Watts — who believes the New Orleans Pelicans would only consider such a move if the franchise had a bigger move lined up.
“New Orleans wants to improve their rim protection, but what if they traded JV for a wing and three second-round draft picks in hopes of making a bigger splash? New Orleans is a sleeper team in a blockbuster trade, and they could be one step closer with a bit more draft capital,” Watts prefaced before saying, “The Pelicans ultimately say no here unless they have the bigger move lined up. This could become a reality before February’s trade deadline if New Orleans again struggles to stay healthy. Valanciunas will be on an expiring deal, and they could be looking to get anything for him. A role-player and three seconds might be the best offer available.”
Watts likes the idea of Hardaway being a floor-spacer for the forward pair of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.
“The Pelicans would benefit from THJ’s shooting after being 29th in 3-pointers attempted last season,” Watts wrote. “Finding minutes on the wing could be difficult, but New Orleans needs a floor spacer around Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.”
Mavericks Linked to Recently Released Veteran Forward
There are currently no substantive talks linking the Mavericks to Valanciunas, but there is smoke on the free-agent market; where Dallas and recently released forward Rudy Gay have been discussed as a possible match.
“Veteran forward Rudy Gay is expected to draw interest from several playoff-caliber teams, including the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls, and New Orleans Pelicans, league sources told HoopsHype,” said HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. “Gay was healthy last season minus a finger joint sprain that sidelined him for two weeks and a member of Utah’s rotation through most of last season. Over the last few years of his career, the 17-year veteran has developed into primarily a power forward.”
Gay was traded twice this offseason: once from the Utah Jazz to the Atlanta Hawks, and then again from the ATL to the Oklahoma City Thunder before he most recently became an unrestricted free agent.
Grant Williams on His Preferred Role on the Mavericks
The Mavericks’ marquee offseason addition, Grant Williams, spoke on the July 21 edition of The Old Man & The Three with JJ Redick & Tommy Alter and discussed what he hoped his role would look like in Dallas following a sign-and-trade with the Boston Celtics that was made official on July 12.
“In a perfect world, in a role that I star in, it looks like being a versatile defender on the defensive end guarding the best player, high impact energy guy but also being a part of the offense and being utilized well,” Williams said. “The way I look at it is the best opportunity that I’ll ever be in as of right now will be you’re involved on the offensive end and you’re also challenged on the defensive end.”
Such a role exists on the Mavs with the front office clearing the likes of Davis Bertans and Reggie Bullock from the rotation. Williams figures to be a three-and-D contributor to a top-heavy Mavericks lineup guided by its guards, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
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