Kofi Inkoom
After finishing with the worst record in the NBA this season(14-68), the Detroit Pistons are looking to make significant changes in the offseason.
With a lottery pick and plenty of cap space, they have the resources to quickly improve. Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale has proposed a trade between the Pistons and the Dallas Mavericks:
Detroit Pistons Receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., No. 58 pick, Toronto’s 2025 second-round pick, Miami’s 2028 second-round pick
Dallas Mavericks Receive: No. 53 pick
Hardaway Jr. has been a reliable scorer both as a starter and off the bench. As the Mavericks’ sixth man this season, he averaged 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, and shot 35.3% from three in 2024.
“Former lead executive Troy Weaver likely had grander plans for what could be comfortably more than $60 million in cap space. His successor, Trajan Langdon, will most likely take a more measured approach. The proof is in the agency he negotiated…Absorbing the final year and $16.2 million of Hardaway’s contract won’t excite Pistons fans in a vacuum, but it should comfort them. Throwing big money at Free Agent X or burning consequential assets on Trade Target Y can be appreciably more damaging, if not mutate into an outright short-circuiting of an (admittedly never-ending) rebuild. ” wrote Favale.
Favale also noted, “Detroit needs shooting anyway. Hardaway is streaky and has fallen out of the Dallas Mavericks’ playoff rotation, but he still checks the floor-spacing box—particularly relative to what the Pistons have in place. Getting him and a couple of (could-be-good) seconds is a rational use of cap space for an organization that has yet to really chart a long-term course.”
For Dallas, Favale added, “Dallas shouldn’t need much convincing to sign off on this deal. It might hesitate at forking over two seconds, but completely lopping off Hardaway’s salary ensures the team will have the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception at its disposal.”
Hardaway’s contract, with a reasonable $16.1 million salary in its final year, makes this move appealing for Detroit. This allows the Pistons to take a chance on a veteran while keeping their long-term cap space flexible.
Hardaway could fit well with the Pistons, potentially becoming their sixth man with his scoring and shot-creation abilities. He has consistently averaged at least seven three-point attempts per season since 2017, addressing Detroit’s need for outside shooting.
With several non-shooters in their core, the Pistons need shooting from their supporting cast, and Hardaway can provide that along with a scoring boost off the bench.
For consecutive seasons since 2018-19, the Pistons have missed the playoffs, while the Dallas Mavericks are in the NBA Finals, trailing the Boston Celtics 1-0. Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday at the TD Garden.