Tim Hardaway Jr. Trade to Heat? How Kyle Lowry Fits with Mavs' Luka Doncic - 5 Factors
DALLAS - The trade availability of Tim Hardaway Jr. is now an NBA open secret, with the Miami Heat the latest team to be linked to the Dallas Mavericks veteran shooting guard.
What factors are in play with this rumor, and others moving forward? As we are officially one month away from the NBA’s trade deadline on Feb. 9, with rumors are starting to heat up. ... Five Factors ...
1) What can Dallas get in return from Miami? It so happens that a trade of Hardaway, paired with Reggie Bullock, bringing Kyle Lowry (finally!) to Dallas ... is a fit.
Lowry has long been on Dallas' wish list - so long, in fact, that he's not nearly the player he was when the pipe-dreaming began. But a ball-handling helper for Luka Doncic is logical.
2) Is this all just a salary dump? The aforementioned structure takes off the books lots of dollars, yes. So does a possible arrangement with the Cleveland Cavaliers, as explained by NBA reporter Marc Stein ...
“League sources have reaffirmed to me that Hardaway is indeed available and that it’s essentially up to the Cavaliers if they are prepared to take on the two years and $34.1 million left on Hardaway's contract beyond this season,” Stein wrote.
And what's the match there? Caris LeVert and his expiring contract is in play.
3) Hardaway’s happiness? From what we know, THJ has been a good soldier here. But Miami is a contender (as the Mavs believe they are), and Miami is "home.'' If the Mavs want to "play nice,'' that's a consideration.
4) How to replace him? Like it or not, Hardaway's shooting has - high-volume though it is - has been a big part of a handful of Mavs wins this season.
When he’s on, the Mavs look like contenders. When he’s not? The Mavs struggle to make up for that ... and the aftermath of this trade would look more promising if a shooter is added somehow.
5) Can the Mavs "win a trade''? Is there a "winner'' better than this one? Consider how we constructed a hypothetical three-team trade that could potentially work for all teams involved.
Mavs receive: Bojan Bogdanovic
Cavs receive: Tim Hardaway Jr.
Pistons receive: Caris LeVert, Frank Ntilikina, two second-round picks
There's your salary dump, your expiring acquired and your shooter added.
Is everybody - including Timmy - happy?
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