Tim

Hardaway Jr.

Fellow ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon notes that moving Hardaway Jr. clears up space needed to sign Derrick Jones Jr., which was a priority for the Mavs’ front office. Hardaway Jr. is unlikely to see a major shift in fantasy value with his new team. He’ll be a three-point specialist who offers little else in the box score. Grimes could be a rotational option in Dallas, but he’s off the radar outside the deepest of fantasy leagues.

A fixture in the Mavericks’ bench rotation throughout the regular season, Hardaway did not see much action as Dallas made its run to the NBA Finals. With one year remaining on his contract and the Mavericks needing to free up money to re-sign Derrick Jones Jr., it makes sense that THJ would be the subject of trade rumors. And based on comments made on social media by his father (which have since been deleted), it appears Hardaway is ready to move on, provided he has a more significant role at his next stop. During his introductory press conference, Pistons lead executive Trajan Langdon said he’s open to using the team’s cap space to take on contracts, provided future draft assets are attached.

Hardaway Jr. is entering the final year of his current deal and is set to make $16.2 million in 2024-25. THJ averaged 15.1 points and 2.8 triples in five seasons with Dallas, and the sharpshooter should be attractive to teams in need of three-point shooting.

The change in designation and addition of the chest contusion injury so soon before tip-off is a bit alarming, especially considering Dallas is down 1-0 in the series. Doncic will surely do everything in his power to be available for this contest, but if he’s forced to sit out, expect Kyrie Irving to assume starting PG duties. One of Dante Exum, Jaden Hardy, Josh Green, or Tim Hardaway Jr. will take Doncic’s spot in the starting five.

After missing the last four games of Dallas’ first-round series against the Clippers with a sprained ankle, Hardaway offered little production in Tuesday’s second-round opener against Oklahoma City. He stepped up when needed in Game 2, scoring 17 points on a night when Kyrie Irving shot 2-of-8 from the field. Hardaway and PJ Washington combined to score 46 points, so Dallas heads home for Game 3 in a tie series instead of sitting in a 0-2 hole. The Mavericks host Game 3 on Saturday afternoon.

THJ sat out Games 3-6 of Dallas’ first-round series against the Clippers, but he’ll be good to go for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. He averaged 14.4 points and 2.7 triples in the regular season, so his return will be a welcomed sight to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving thanks to his scoring and floor spacing.

Both players will remain sidelined once again, which means that Josh Green and Dante Exum will be the primary guard options off the bench. However, with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving soaking up most of the backcourt minutes, they won’t play a significant amount of time.

Hardaway has missed two straight games but could return to the fray on Wednesday. The Mavericks wing has only scored six points in the series, though.

Hardaway will miss a second straight game after spraining his ankle during Game 2. Josh Green and Dante Exum will play key roles off the bench, with the former having logged 25 minutes in Game 3.

THJ missed Game 3 after exiting early from Game 2. Josh Green ended up playing 25 minutes off the bench, while Dante Exum logged 12 minutes. With Hardaway Jr. expected to miss another game, both Green and Exum will play important roles off the bench.