3 Most Overpaid Mavericks Heading Into the 2023 Season

An NBA general manager must be conscious of his team's salary cap situation when trying to build a championship roster. After all, overpaying in one area means that there might not be enough money left over to tackle another crucial need.

Even with the hype surrounding Dallas ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season, general manager Nico Harrison isn't exempt from criticism. While some Mavericks are being paid exactly what they deserve (or even less in some cases), others are firmly within "overpaid" territory.

Keeping that in mind, here are three Mavericks who are making more than they should heading into the 2023 NBA campaign.

3 Most Overpaid Mavericks

1. Tim Hardaway Jr.

Make no mistake about it: Tim Hardaway Jr. isn't a horrible player by any stretch. While he isn't a difference-maker most nights, he's a well-respected veteran who's averaged 15.4 points over nearly five seasons with the Mavericks since 2019.

The issue is the fact that Hardaway carries a $17.8 million cap hit in 2023-24.

It didn't seem like a bad idea when the Mavs signed him to a four-year, $74 million contract ahead of the 2021-22 season. After all, the California native had just averaged 16.6 PPG on .447/.391/.816 splits during the previous year before shooting 40.4% from three-point range in the postseason.

Unfortunately, Hardaway's offense has slightly declined over the last two campaigns. On top of only averaging 14.4 PPG last season, he only started in 45 of his 71 appearances and shot the ball 43.1% from two-point range — the worst mark of his 10-year career.

At 31 years old, it's unlikely that we'll see Hardaway turn back the clock. He's still a decent three-pointer shooter at times and will have the occasional big game, but it's hard for fans to love the idea that he has the third-highest cap hit on the roster.

Barring a massive turnaround this fall, I don't see a world where Hardaway is worth his current contract.