Kawhi Pipe-Dream Dead; Here’s Mavs’ Next Move

The Dallas Mavericks appear to be moving on from the Kawhi Leonard pipe-dream. Here is the Mavs' next offseason priority.

Over the last few weeks, rumors have been swirling that the Dallas Mavericks could be a potential landing spot for Los Angeles Clippers' superstar Kawhi Leonard. While it may have been a fun dream, it is a pipe-dream that has officially come to an end.

According to a report from NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavs have moved on from the idea of pursuing Leonard and are instead focusing on acquiring Kyle Lowry and re-signing Tim Hardaway Jr.

"The Dallas Mavericks' post-draft focus, sources say, will be the pursuit of Kyle Lowry (along with Miami, New Orleans and Philadelphia) and their bid to re-sign Tim Hardaway Jr. Dallas was initially expected to wait and see if Kawhi Leonard gave any indication that he was open to leaving the Clippers, but the Mavericks have moved off of those plans."

While this is disappointing news for some fans, the reality of the situation is that Leonard was likely never coming to Dallas. The expectation all along has been that Leonard would end up re-signing with the Clippers.

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Making the pivot from Leonard to Lowry and Hardaway makes a lot of sense for the Mavericks as well. Dallas has always prioritized keeping Hardaway and Lowry would be the perfect compliment to Luka Doncic in the back-court.

DBcom has been told by team owner Mark Cuban that the Mavs are looking for a secondary ball-handler to take pressure off of Doncic. It wouldn't get much better than Lowry.

During the 2020-21 NBA season with the Toronto Raptors, Lowry ended up averaging 17.2 points per game to go along with 7.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds. He shot 43.6 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 39.6 percent of his three-point attempts. Those offensive numbers would be a major boost for the Mavericks.

READ MORE: Mavs Eyeing Kyle Lowry On A Two-Year Deal In NBA Free Agency?

Hardaway, on the other hand, averaged 16.6 points per game, while also chipping in 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Dallas relied heavily on his three-point shooting ability, which he shot at a 39.1 percent clip. Keeping him in town is a top priority, as it should be.

Expect to hear a lot more news and rumors surrounding the Mavericks as the offseason continues forward. For now, the Kawhi Leonard pipe-dream is dead, but there is a lot more excitement coming in Dallas.