Grading Mavs’ Haul From First 24 Hours of Free Agency
By Cem Yolbulan
The Dallas Mavericks have been one of the busiest teams of the offseason so far, making aggressive moves to upgrade the roster around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Despite winning the Western Conference and making the NBA Finals, GM Nico Harrison wasn't satisfied and refused to run it back.
Let's take a look and evaluate the three big moves the Mavericks made so far in free agency and the trade market.
Trading Tim Hardaway Jr. & 3 Second-Round Picks for Quentin Grimes
It was the worst-kept secret in the NBA that Dallas was going to trade Tim Hardaway Jr. this summer. He was entering the final year of his contract, had played terribly in the postseason, and his salary was too restrictive for the Mavericks.
The Mavericks were just hoping to get out of his contract without having to give up too many assets. Not only did they do that, but they also added a solid three-and-D wing in the process. In exchange for just three second-rounders, the Mavericks turned the unplayable-in-the-playoffs Hardaway Jr. into a 24-year-old two-way player who can guard multiple positions and hit open shots.
In addition to the on-court upgrade, the Mavericks also made significant financial savings as Grimes only makes $4.2 million for next season. This allowed Dallas to make the rest of the moves on this list. A home-run trade.