(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
After an incredible run through the first three rounds of the NBA playoffs, during which the Dallas Mavericks pulled off consecutive upsets against the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves, Luka Doncic and company couldn’t keep up with the red-hot Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Ultimately, the Mavericks lost to the dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in five games, ending an incredible bounce-back season where Dallas went from missing the playoffs entirely to reaching the Finals.
In the aftermath of losing Game 5 to the Celtics at TD Garden in Boston, the Mavericks front office will get back to work this summer in an effort to bolster the roster and add some more talent around superstars Kyrie Irving and Doncic.
Although this will be no easy task for general manager Nico Harrison and the team’s brass, the team seems to know where they’ll start making moves, and it begins with letting guard Tim Hardaway Jr walk in NBA free agency.
Despite having a decent regular season with the Mavericks, Hardaway flamed out in epic fashion during the postseason, as he didn’t start a single game and had his lowest points per game average in the postseason thus far at 4.4, which is awful compared to the 2020-21 campaign when he averaged 17.0 points per game in the playoffs.
Apparently, the Mavericks have no intention of bringing him back, but according to NBA insider Marc Stein, he might be able to land on his feet quickly with the Detroit Pistons showing interest.
The Detroit Pistons are emerging as a potential landing spot for Tim Hardaway Jr., per @TheSteinLine pic.twitter.com/jmZlHrPbS5
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 25, 2024
Although Hardaway is a talented scorer, it seems as though he might be on the downside of his career and struggles when the lights are the brightest during the postseason.
He’d be an ideal addition for the Pistons, who are rebuilding and could use his veteran presence and scoring moving forward.
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