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NBA Trade Rumors: Latest on Mavs' Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith
January 30, 2023
The Dallas Mavericks are getting sustained trade interest in Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith, according to multiple reports.
Action Network's Matt Moore reported the Mavs "have been fielding offers for their wings in an effort to upgrade" and that Hardaway "is the name most commonly mentioned."
The Athletic's Shams Charania, meanwhile, reported the Utah Jazz are at least one team that has reached out about Finney-Smith. However, Dallas is maintaining "an incredibly high price threshold for teams reaching out."
NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Jan. 9 that Hardaway was being made available to teams and "that it's essentially up to the Cavaliers if they are prepared to take on the two years and $34.1 million left on Hardaway's contract beyond this season."
Swapping Hardaway ($19.6 million) for Caris LeVert ($18.8 million) works in terms of salary, and LeVert's expiring deal would give Dallas a little more financial flexibility in the offseason.
However, Moore added the Mavs "may look to shed salary instead of looking for upgrades." The LeVert trade would seemingly achieve that aim, but it might not be an available option.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on Jan. 10 the Cavs were expressing "hesitancy" about a Hardaway trade because of what they would have to give up.
In the case of Finney-Smith, Dallas' high demand reflects his value to the team.
The 29-year-old is an effective two-way player who's averaging 8.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals while shooting 34.8 percent from beyond the arc. He's also on a team-friendly four-year, $55 million contract that keeps him on the roster for at least two more seasons. He has a $15.4 million player option for 2025-26.
Finney-Smith is the kind of player who rounds out the rotation of a championship contender.
At 26-25 and sitting in seventh place, Dallas clearly needs to upgrade the supporting cast around Luka Dončić. But absent landing a major difference-maker, trading Finney-Smith would likely leave the team worse off.