Mavericks Rumors: Tim Hardaway Jr. Trades Have Been Explored Since End of Season

The Dallas Mavericks have reportedly been exploring trades involving guard Tim Hardaway Jr. since the end of the regular season.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported the Mavs are yet to find a taker for Hardaway, who is owed $34.1 million over the next two seasons. Dallas already traded Dāvis Bertāns to the Oklahoma City Thunder and acquired Richaun Holmes from the Sacramento Kings this offseason as they look to overhaul their supporting cast around Luka Dončić and potentially Kyrie Irving.

Finding a taker may prove difficult given Hardaway's salary and inconsistent play the past two seasons. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 40.1 percent from the field last season. While Hardaway remains a solid floor spacer (36.1 percent career three-point shooter), he's a net-negative on defense — a no-go given Dončić and Irving's limitations on that end.

The Mavericks' best bet may be to wait until free agency plays out and finding a non-contender with cap space willing to take on Hardaway's salary for future draft compensation. Dallas has its 2026 and 2027 picks available for trade purposes, which would likely be the going rate for taking on Hardaway's contract.

The Mavs would then acquire a trade exception, which they could again use to take on some other team's unwanted salary for a player that better fits with their core.

Trades of this nature will likely become the norm over the next couple of seasons as teams attempt to square up their books under the league's new collective bargaining agreement while remaining competitive.