The Dallas Mavericks have agreed to trade Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons for Quentin Grimes, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. The picks involved in the trade will be a 2025 second-round pick via the Toronto Raptors and two 2028 second-round picks. Hardaway Jr. came to Dallas as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade in 2019 and had some productive seasons, mainly coming off the bench. He received multiple top-10 finishes in Sixth Man of the Year voting, finishing ninth this season with averages of 14.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, shooting 35.2% from beyond the arc. However, during the playoffs, Hardaway’s role diminished as the Mavericks reached the Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in five games. He had eight games where he did not play and only scored in double figures twice. Hardaway was set to make $16.1 million in the final year of his contract next season, but the trade allows the Mavericks financial flexibility to potentially re-sign Derrick Jones Jr., offering him the majority of the mid-level exception of $12.9 million.
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison expressed that re-signing Jones is a top priority, stating, “He’s priority one, 1A and 1B.” Harrison highlighted Jones fitting well with the team and being committed to the organization. The Mavericks also see potential in Quentin Grimes, who showed promise in his second season with the New York Knicks but faced setbacks last season due to injuries and a trade to the Pistons. Grimes averaged 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists during his sophomore year, shooting 38.6% from deep. If Grimes can return to his previous form, he could fill a significant role as a floor spacer alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
On the Pistons side, the team is in a rebuilding phase, and acquiring Hardaway’s expiring contract and additional draft picks provides them with more financial flexibility. Detroit has ample cap space and may look to flip Hardaway for further assets before the trade deadline. Expect more moves from the Pistons as they continue to rebuild their roster over the summer.