Mavericks, Pistons swap ex-Knicks Tim Hardaway Jr., Quentin Grimes in trade

The NBA’s busy offseason continued Friday, this time featuring two players who called Madison Square Garden home.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Dallas Mavericks traded guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for guard Quentin Grimes.

Hardaway was a longtime staple rotation piece for the Mavericks, who reached the 2024 NBA Finals.

During the last five seasons in Dallas, Hardaway played in 333 games, starting 166 and averaging 15.1 points per game.

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The 32-year-old was particularly effective from beyond the arc, averaging 2.8 3s made per game on 37.5 percent shooting.

However, Hardaway didn’t match that overall output during the 2024 postseason, scoring more than 10 points in just two of Dallas’ 22 playoff matchups.

Likewise, Hardaway missed four games during the Mavs’ run due to an ankle sprain, then had his role diminished during the Finals.

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The former Michigan Wolverine began his career with the Knicks in 2013, playing just two seasons in New York before being dealt to the Atlanta Hawks.

On the other end of the deal, the 24-year-old Grimes has been a solid bench contributor during his three years in the association.

Splitting time between the Knicks and Pistons in 2023-24, Grimes averaged 7.0 points per game in 51 appearances.

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The former Kansas and Houston guard was the Knicks’ first-round pick in 2021 but was traded to Detroit in February after his relationship deteriorated with head coach Tom Thibodeau.

The Knicks received sharpshooters Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks in return.

Grimes, a Texas native, should be able to fill Hardaway’s responsibilities as a high-minutes bench player behind the likes of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and P.J. Washington.

Meanwhile, Hardaway joins a Detroit team that went a horrific 14-68 last year but with impressive young guards in Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland II.

The veteran Hardaway should immediately upgrade the Pistons’ 3-point shooting, as the team averaged the fewest made triples per game and had the 25th-best clip of converting such shots.

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