Lakers Trade Moving Patrick Beverley for Mavs’ Tim Hardaway Would ‘Make Sense,’ Says NBA Exec

One Mavs’ argument against this? Hardaway is coming off an injury-plagued campaign that puts his value at a low.

DALLAS - The Los Angeles Lakers, even with LeBron James. can’t stand pat.

The Dallas Mavericks, even with Luka Doncic having just led them to the NBA Western Conference Finals, probably shouldn’t, either.

An NBA source is suggesting to our guy Sean Deveney at Heavy.com that a Tim Hardaway Jr. to L.A. trade may make sense for all parties involved.

“Teams like (Hardaway). You know what you’re getting. OK defender, streaky shooter, high basketball IQ, a veteran guy,” the source said. “The Lakers are looking for upgrades across the board, a veteran guy like Hardaway, there is something that could get done there if there was another team involved and a draft pick. He makes sense there.”

Beverley was recently sent to Utah in the Rudy Gobert trade. A long-time thorn in Dallas’ side, he would provide defense and a “dawg” attitude. The Lakers and Mavs, per this concept, would include a third team, and L.A. would somehow dump Talen Horton-Tucker in the process.

Deveney paints this picture:

Mavericks get: Patrick Beverley (Jazz), Kendrick Nunn (Lakers)

Jazz get: Talen Horton-Tucker (Lakers), Wenyen Gabriel (Lakers), Lakers first-round 2027 pick

Lakers get: Tim Hardaway Jr., 2023 least-favorable first-rounder from Houston, Brooklyn or Philadelphia (Jazz)

The Mavs’ argument against this? Hardaway is coming off an injury-plagued campaign that puts his value at a low. Additionally, with Jalen Brunson gone to the Knicks, the Mavs believe a healthy Hardaway can pick up the scoring slack as a sharp-shooting ace getting open looks as a Luka helper.

Is there an inequity in this proposal? LeBron Lakers do get better … while were not certain - the opinion of an anonymous NBA exec aside - the same can be said for the Mavs.

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