Terry Rozier Trade to Heat Indicates Hornets Fire Sale; Here's How Mavs Can Benefit
On Tuesday, the Charlotte Hornets traded Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat in exchange for Kyle Lowry and a 2027 first-round pick that is lottery protected. Given that Rozier was arguably the Hornets' best player, him being traded for that kind of value seems to indicate that a full-blown fire sale could be coming in Charlotte before the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
The Dallas Mavericks are expected to be active before the deadline, working the phones in hopes of upgrading their frontcourt without having to completely 'sell the farm,' and the Hornets could provide Dallas with that opportunity. The Mavs have already been linked to P.J. Washington in trade rumors over the last few weeks, but what if Dallas took full advantage of Charlotte's roster-shuffling situation and added even more talent? Here's a trade scenario that could be interesting:
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Mavs receive: P.J. Washington, Miles Bridges, Nick Richards
Hornets receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Grant Williams, Jaden Hardy, 2025 second-round pick (via TOR), 2028 second-round pick (via MIA)
This trade would undoubtedly make the Mavs better, but it would also come with some rough optics, as Miles Bridges is currently serving three years of probation due to a domestic violence case from 2022 where he pleaded no contest to avoid jail time.
According to the Action Network's Matt Moore, the Mavs have already shown exploratory interest in trading for Bridges, which indicates that the front office has already considered the risk vs. reward aspect of making such a move. In 30 games this season, Bridges is averaging 20.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 46.0 percent from the field, including 35.6 percent from deep.
As talented as Washington is, he has struggled for Charlotte this season, averaging just 12.7 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 43.0 percent overall and 32.1 percent from deep. A change of scenery could do wonders for the fifth-year forward out of Kentucky, and Grant Williams going to Charlotte would make some sense given the Hornets' interest in him last summer.
As for Nick Richards, he would be a godsend for the Mavs’ backup-center situation. He’s averaging 8.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 24.3 minutes per game this season. Having Richards back up Dereck Lively II would give head coach Jason Kidd a well-rounded center rotation — something he hasn’t had during his time coaching the Mavs.
Washington and Richards both have two years remaining on their contracts past this season, while Bridges is on an expiring deal and will enter unrestricted free agency this summer. If anything, the Mavs could pursue this trade mainly for Washington and Richards while taking a half-season flier on Bridges without any long-term commitment.
Rumors and speculation will continue to grow with the trade deadline being a little more than two weeks away. Stay tuned to DallasBasketball.com for all trade updates involving the Mavs.
