Detroit Pistons Make Offseason Trade Official on Saturday

The Detroit Pistons are officially acquiring Tim Hardaway Jr. and a package of picks.

Dec 1, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (11) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons guard Killian Hayes (7) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports | Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Pistons officially announced their offseason trade with the Dallas Mavericks.

On Saturday, the team issued a press release, confirming that they would acquire Tim Hardaway Jr., along with three second-round draft selections.

The Mavs will receive the veteran guard Quentin Grimes in return.

In the weeks leading up to the deal, the Pistons were mentioned as suitors for Hardaway. As they’ve been searching for experienced veterans with proven shooting from beyond the arc, Hardaway makes sense from a fit standpoint alongside the franchise player, Cade Cunningham.

Being in the NBA since 2013, Hardaway has plenty of experience under his belt. He had multiple runs with the New York Knicks and two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks before spending the last six seasons as a consistent role player on the Mavericks.

In 352 games, Hardaway has collected 183 starts in Dallas. He averaged 28 minutes on the court, producing 15 points per game, while shooting 37 percent from three. Across his career, Hardaway averaged 14 points, knocking down 37 percent of his threes.

Last season, the Pistons struck a deadline deal with the Knicks in order to acquire Quentin Grimes. While the Pistons looked forward to bringing in the 23-year-old veteran, Grimes’ short stint in Detroit involved a lack of playing time due to an injury.

Overall, Grimes spent just six games on the court with the Pistons. He averaged 19 minutes on the floor, scoring five points per game while shooting 21 percent from the field. He finished the year off by averaging seven points, draining just 37 percent of his field goals and averaging 34 percent from deep.

The Mavericks hope to take advantage of Grimes’ experience as they look to craft another deep run in the postseason. Meanwhile, Hardaway joins a rebuilding roster in Detroit, and adopts a leadership role while seeing a potential increase in usage next season.