Detroit Pistons Have 'Emerged' as Top Landing Spot For Dallas Mavericks Veteran

The Mavericks could be trading the veteran sharpshooter soon

Apr 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Malachi Flynn (14) controls the ball as Dallas Mavericks forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) defends during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports / Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports

It's no secret that the Dallas Mavericks are looking to move off the final year of Tim Hardaway Jr.'s contract, worth a little more than $16 million. While he was the third leading scorer for the Mavs in the regular season, his shot abandoned him in the playoffs and he was out of the rotation for most of the playoffs.

With the team's desire to re-sign Derrick Jones Jr. and stay under the 1st apron of the luxury tax, the Mavs have to get creative and move off of contracts like Hardaway's. According to Marc Stein, one team emerging as a destination for Hardaway is the Detroit Pistons.

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The Pistons have over $60 million in cap space this offseason and have said they'd take on bigger contracts if the assets make it worth it. With Hardaway's contract set to expire after next season, it would be a low-risk move for Detroit.

Stein also said the Mavericks would be looking to get back Quentin Grimes in the trade, a third-year guard who was born in Houston. He's a solid defender, scored over 11 PPG for the Knicks two seasons ago, is a career 37.1% 3-point shooter, and is making just $4.2 million next season. For a rotation-level player, that would be perfect for Dallas. At 6'5" he has the size to guard 1-3 and would be able to play alongside either Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving when one of them needs a breather. This is an ideal bench guard for a team like the Mavericks.

Tim Hardaway Jr. would almost certainly be bought out in Detroit, as their timeline is much different than his, but he did play college basketball at Michigan. Detroit's new general manager, Trajan Langdon, has had interest in Hardaway in the past, as he was also the general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans when they offered Hardaway a 4-year/$88-million contract a few years ago.

The Mavericks would like to move on from Hardaway sooner rather than later, preferably during the draft on Wednesday and Thursday, so they can move forward on coming to terms with Derrick Jones Jr. They're only a couple of changes away from being a legitimate staying power in the Western Conference and are coming off an improbable run to the NBA Finals.

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