The Mavericks and Pistons have completed a trade, sending Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks to Detroit in exchange for Quentin Grimes, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The picks include Toronto’s 2025 second-rounder and two 2028 second-rounders, given that Dallas holds Miami’s pick and the least favorable of the Clippers’ and Hornets’ selections for that year.
This trade was initially mentioned by Marc Stein as crucial for Dallas’ plan to re-sign starting small forward Derrick Jones. Dallas only has Non-Bird rights on Jones, limiting their offer unless they use their mid-level exception. By trading Hardaway’s $16.2 million expiring contract for Grimes, who will earn $4.3 million next season, Dallas gains about $15 million in space under the first tax apron. This move allows them to use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception of around $12.9 million on Jones or another player, as explained by cap expert Yossi Gozlan.
The Mavericks also acquire Grimes, a promising three-and-D player who averaged 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 29.9 minutes per game over 71 games in 2022-23, with shooting splits of .468/.386/.796. Despite reduced minutes last season and a knee injury limiting him to six games after joining Detroit in February, Grimes remains an intriguing asset. He is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason and had drawn interest from the Heat and Hawks, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Pistons’ new president of basketball operations, Trajan Langdon, has been open about taking on unwanted contracts if they come with valuable assets. While the previous management saw Grimes as a potential keeper, Langdon prioritized the draft picks in this trade.
Hardaway, who averaged 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 26.8 minutes per game over 79 appearances last season with shooting splits of .402/.353/.852, still holds value. However, his limited playoff role suggested his departure from Dallas was imminent. Detroit’s interest in adding veterans and shooters makes Hardaway a potential fit, given his career 36.0% three-point shooting. ESPN’s Bobby Marks reports that Detroit will still have around $50 million in cap space after acquiring Hardaway’s contract.
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