Tim Hardaway Jr.

Mavs Sign Tim Hardaway Jr. To Four-Year Deal

AUGUST 9: The Mavericks have officially re-signed Hardaway, the team announced today in a press release. Bartelstein tells Stein (Twitter link) that the total value of THJ’s four-year deal came in at $75MM.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that Hardaway’s new contract will decline in value across each of its four seasons. Hardaway will earn $21.3MM during the first year of the agreement, 2021/22, and that number will eventually dip to $16.2MM for Hardaway’s age-32 season, 2024/25.


AUGUST 2: The Mavericks and their top free agent, guard Tim Hardaway Jr., have agreed to a four-year, $72MM contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that the actual value is $74MM, so we may have to wait to see the official terms once it’s finalized. Marc Stein of Substack (Twitter link) first reported that the Mavs were expected to re-sign the veteran wing.

Hardaway is one of the top unrestricted free agents on the market and Dallas prioritized bringing back one of its primary offensive threats.

Hardaway, 29, averaged 16.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 1.8 APG last season while shooting 39.1% from the field. He also excelled in the postseason, then said after the season he was hoping he could work out a deal with his current club.

“If you were to talk to anybody in this organization and anybody that’s around me, they will definitely say that I love it here,” Hardaway said.

Hardaway’s four-year, $71MM deal he signed with the Knicks in 2017 expired at the end of the season.

Free Agent Rumors: Mavs, Lowry, Kawhi, Knicks, Dinwiddie, More

While the Mavericks are expected to show interest in free agent point guard Mike Conley, veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein says Dallas’ focus in free agency will be on pursuing Kyle Lowry and attempting to re-sign Tim Hardaway Jr. Reports to date have suggested that Conley is more likely than Lowry to return to his current team, so it makes sense that the Mavs would prioritize Lowry.

According to Stein, the Mavericks were initially expected to wait to see if Kawhi Leonard gave any indication that he was thinking about leaving the Clippers. However, the team has moved off of those plans, says Stein. That’s probably a signal that Leonard is unlikely to depart Los Angeles.

Here are a few more updates related to free agency:

  • At least one key decision-maker in the Knicks‘ front office has “embraced” the idea of signing Spencer Dinwiddie this offseason, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who hears that at least one other club plans to make the point guard a strong offer. Begley also confirms that DeMar DeRozan is among the other free agent guards on New York’s radar, though he says teams monitoring the situation view the Knicks as more likely to go after DeRozan if they’re able to acquire Damian Lillard in a trade.
  • The Suns are among the teams eyeing sharpshooter Reggie Bullock as a possible free agent target, Begley writes in a separate SNY.tv story. The Knicks have “significant” interest in re-signing Bullock, Begley adds.
  • Despite playing a modest role with the Nuggets down the stretch of the season, JaVale McGee is interested in re-signing with the team, two league sources tell Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Singer cautions that the veteran center figures to have multiple suitors on the open market.
  • Rockets guard Avery Bradley is expected to draw interest from multiple playoff contenders if he becomes a free agent, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Houston will have to make a decision soon on Bradley’s $5.9MM team option for 2021/22.

Charania’s Latest: Beal, Lakers, Hardaway Jr., Barton, Turner, Ennis, Lowry

Wizards star Bradley Beal is expected to use this weekend to continue pondering his future with the franchise, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

Beal has been “on the fence” about his future with Washington at times, Charania notes. Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer first reported that Beal had been pondering a trade request, adding that any call for a move would likely come before Thursday’s draft.

The 28-year-old Beal recently finished his ninth season with the team, averaging a career-high 31.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.

Here are some other notes from The Athletic’s story:

  • The Lakers are expected to express interest in Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Spencer Dinwiddie, Charania reports. A previous report from Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times indicated that the three guards have interest in joining L.A.
  • The Mavericks have prioritized re-signing veteran free agent Tim Hardaway Jr., Charania notes. Hardway is coming off a stellar campaign with Dallas, averaging 16.6 points per game on 39% shooting from three-point range.
  • Will Barton declined his $14.7MM player option with Denver earlier this month, but there’s expected to be significant interest between both sides on negotiating a new deal, according to Charania. Barton recently concluded his seventh season with the Nuggets.
  • The Pelicans and Hornets have expressed interest in Pacers center Myles Turner, Charania reports. Indiana is open to moving the 25-year-old Turner after finishing the season at just 34-38.
  • Magic free agent James Ennis is expected to garner interest from multiple postseason contenders. Ennis, a seven-year veteran, averaged 8.4 points per contest on 43% shooting from deep this past season.
  • Charania also reported a list of top suitors for Lowry in free agency, listing the Sixers, Lakers, Mavericks, Pelicans and Heat as teams likely to be in the mix for him.

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Sweeney, THJ, SVG, Grizzlies, Rockets

The Mavericks are in advanced talks to hire Sean Sweeney as an assistant coach on Jason Kidd‘s new staff, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Sweeney, who has been on Dwane Casey‘s staff in Detroit since 2018, was said last month to be in talks with the Pistons on a new deal. However, as Stein points out, Sweeney worked on Kidd’s staff during his time in Brooklyn and Milwaukee. Once Kidd was hired by the Mavericks, it seems Sweeney’s focus shifted to a reunion with the veteran coach.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Tim Hardaway Jr. will make the final decision on his destination in free agency this summer, but his father would vote for him to remain in Dallas. As Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News tweets, Tim Hardaway Sr. said on the 1 Star Recruits Podcast that he thinks the Mavericks are “a very good fit for my son” and that the decision to hire Kidd was a good one.
  • Appearing on the Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz, former Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy spoke more about his exit from the organization, suggesting that he was more focused on what was happening on the court, while executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin was more concerned with “the atmosphere around the team and the happiness of people.” Christian Clark of NOLA.com has the full quote from Van Gundy.
  • Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal evaluates whether the Grizzlies could – and should – make a strong play for Bradley Beal should the All-Star guard become available in a trade before his current contract ends.
  • Within his latest mailbag, Kelly Iko of The Athletic discusses the No. 2 pick, Eric Gordon‘s trade value, and several more Rockets-related topics.

Heat Rumors: Oladipo, Herro, Yurtseven, Hardaway, Adebayo

An ESPN report in May suggested that Victor Oladipo could resume full-contact basketball activities as soon as November following his quad tendon surgery. However, the Heat aren’t counting on him being ready for NBA games at that point, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson says Oladipo’s camp is hopeful he’ll be able to return to action at some point between mid-December and early February.

It’s uncertain whether the Heat will make much of an effort to re-sign Oladipo, per Jackson, who notes that any deal between the two sides would likely be a “low-money” one.

Given that Oladipo may not be ready until the halfway point of the season, it’s even possible he’ll sit out the year and focus on getting healthy if he and his representatives don’t like the offers they get, Jackson writes. In that scenario, the plan would be for the two-time All-Star to get back to 100% and then return to free agency in July 2022.

Here’s more on the Heat:

  • Despite some whispers that the Heat haven’t been thrilled with Tyler Herro‘s off-court social life and his work ethic, a team official told Jackson there’s no concern with the 21-year-old in that regard. “He’s a hard worker,” Jackson’s source said, adding that there are no attitude issues with Herro either.
  • Some people within the Heat’s front office are extremely high on late-season signee Omer Yurtseven and believe he could develop into a skilled big man, according to Jackson. In a separate story, Jackson outlines how Yurtseven’s agent Keith Glass originally approached the Heat about his client because of the team’s strong track record for developing young players.
  • Tim Hardaway Jr., who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, is intrigued by the Heat, reports Greg Sylvander of Five Reasons Sports. However, the timing of free agency and cap/contract details are viewed by the Mavericks wing and his camp as obstacles that could impede the two sides from seriously exploring a deal.
  • Asked if he’ll be looking to sell his U.S. teammates on the Heat during the Tokyo Olympics, big man Bam Adebayo smiled and replied, “I might. Or they might ask me. It’s my job to be honest” (link via Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel).

Mavericks Notes: Hardaway, Star Search, Roster, Carlisle

Mavericks swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and should command a sizable new contract. It’s possible he’ll get that deal in Dallas, since it sounds as if he and the Mavs’ brass are hoping to continue their partnership.

Ahead of his free agency, Hardaway acknowledged his enthusiasm for the Mavericks, per Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “If you were to talk to anybody in this organization and anybody that’s around me, they will definitely say that I love it here,” Hardaway said.

Bringing Hardaway back to Dallas on a long-term deal is one of the club’s top offseason goals, writes Dwain Price of Mavs.com. The 6’5″ veteran wing was a big contributor to a Mavericks team that pushed the Clippers to the brink in a competitive seven-game first-round series matchup. Hardaway averaged 16.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.8 APG across 70 regular season games with the Mavericks. He boasted a shooting line of .447/.391/.816.

“It’s a big summer for us,” team president Donnie Nelson acknowledged. “We’re looking forward to putting the other building blocks in place. We’ll look internally first, as we always do. We like a lot of the things that we’ve seen.”

There’s more out of Dallas:

  • Mavericks All-Star Luka Dončić put up a terrific playoff series performance against the Clippers, but it appears that he could use the help of a true second option after his team fell short to L.A. in the first round for the second straight season. Sam Quinn of CBS.com takes an in-depth look at Dallas’ potential paths for adding another star.
  • The Mavericks will have an action-packed offseason as they look to cement their roster for the 2021/22 season, which will include decisions on several key role players and one essential superstar, writes Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News. Caplan notes that the Mavericks could have as many as eight free agents and five contract extensions to juggle. Ahead of the final year of his rookie-scale deal, Dončić will be eligible for a maximum contract extension this summer worth over $200MM. Other choices facing Dallas include a determination on whether or not to extend reserve guard Jalen Brunson.
  • Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle acknowledged that the club’s roster will undergo some changes this summer in an interview with Dallas-area radio station 96.7 The Ticket, per Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “I don’t know at this time whether the majority of our moves will be through trade or will be through free agency, but I know we will be active,” Carlisle said.

Mavs Confident In Ability To Re-Sign Tim Hardaway Jr.

Tim Hardaway Jr. is expected to be one of the top wings available on the free agent market this offseason, but he may end up not going anywhere. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link), there’s confidence within the Mavericks‘ organization about the team’s ability to sign Hardaway to a new contract.

Hardaway, 29, is in the final season of the four-year, $71MM deal he signed with the Knicks in 2017. New York faced some criticism at the time of the signing for what was perceived as an overpay, but Hardaway has lived up to his end of the bargain, averaging 16.9 points on .423/.364/.825 shooting and playing solid defense in 263 games (30.5 MPG) for the Knicks and Mavericks over the life of the contract.

Having made 39.4% of his three-point attempts during the last two years in Dallas, Hardaway has gotten even hotter to start the postseason, averaging 24.5 PPG and making 11-of-17 threes in the Mavs’ two wins over the Clippers in Los Angeles. If he keeps it up and helps push the team to the second round, that should only help his stock in free agency.

According to Basketball Insiders’ data, the Mavs currently have approximately $73MM in guaranteed money on their books for 2021/22. Theoretically, Dallas could create a sizeable chunk of cap room, but that would depend on what they do with free agents like Hardaway, J.J. Redick, and Boban Marjanovic. Josh Richardson‘s $11.6MM player option and Willie Cauley-Stein‘s $4.1MM team option are also wild cards that could impact the club’s flexibility.

Even if the Mavs were to carve out significant cap space, it’s unclear whether they’d realistically be able to land anyone who fits the current roster better than Hardaway, considering this year’s free agent class isn’t particularly star-studded. Focusing on re-signing the veteran wing makes sense, though it may take an offer that matches or exceeds his previous $18MM annual salary to lock him up.

Mavs Notes: Hardaway, Arena Capacity, Doncic-KP, Barea

Mavericks swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. has had a terrific year for Dallas, but Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News wonders if the reserve wing will look for greater opportunity in unrestricted free agency this summer. Hardaway is in the final season of a four-year, $71MM deal he initially inked with the Knicks.

Hardaway has been primarily a bench contributor to the Mavericks this season, having been a reserve in 49 of the 70 games he has played. Townsend notes that Hardaway’s play has positioned him as a potential Sixth Man of the Year candidate for 2020/21. “If I go on the bench, I think this bench that we have is deep,” Hardaway said. “Whether I’m starting, whether I’m coming off the bench, it’s just me trying to be aggressive and be the best basketball player I can be for the team.”

“(Mavericks head coach) Rick Carlisle’s done a great job with him,” raved Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue. “He’s playing at a high level right now. I think he’s their X-factor.” 

There’s more out of Dallas:

  • The capacity of the Mavericks’ home arena, American Airlines Center, has been boosted to 12,000 fans for the playoffs, writes Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News. Team owner Mark Cuban said he would prefer to have full-capacity crowds, but amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA is still imposing crowd capacity restrictions. “Now we know we’ll be at at least (12,000), and we’re pushing if we can get some modifications done to the arena in time to get to (15,000),” Cuban said in an interview with local radio station 105.3 KRLD-FM The Fan.
  • The ability of Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic and forward Kristaps Porzingis to thrive alongside one another will not only dictate the team’s playoff ceiling this spring, but will have an impact on the team’s long-term future, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic.
  • Former Mavericks reserve point guard J.J. Barea, who recently joined Cangrejeros de Santurce in his native Puerto Rico, spoke with Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News in an extended conversation. Barea notes that his NBA career appears close to over, but he would relish the opportunity to perhaps return to Dallas as an assistant coach. “I want to stay in contact with the team for the next couple years, and then definitely, when a coaching job opens up, I want to keep getting my experience ready for coaching,” Barea said. “I would love to work for the Mavericks and be in Dallas and be a part of the Mavericks forever.”

Free Agency Rumors: Holmes, Hardaway, Powell, More

Kings center Richaun Holmes is expected to be a sought-after free agent this offseason, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who spoke to a number of league personnel members about the 2021 FA class. Fischer’s sources suggested that a four-year, $80MM deal wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for Holmes.

“I think everyone’s going to be chasing him,” one team analytics staffer told Bleacher Report.

The Kings figure to make an effort to re-sign Holmes. General manager Monte McNair referred to the big man today as “an integral part of the team,” as James Ham of NBC Sports California tweets. And Ham himself made the case that retaining Holmes should be Sacramento’s top priority.

However, since the Kings only have Holmes’ Early Bird rights and don’t project to have a huge chunk of cap room, their ability to make a competitive offer may be limited if his price gets anywhere near as high as Fischer’s sources believed it could. The Hornets and Mavericks are among the other teams expected to have interest in Holmes, according to Fischer.

Here’s more from Fischer:

  • One personnel evaluator who spoke to Bleacher Report referred to Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr. as “one of the best pure scorers in the league,” and won’t be surprised if he receives another lucrative multiyear deal now that his four-year, $71MM contract is set to expire.
  • That same personnel evaluator said he believes Trail Blazers guard Norman Powell can get $20MM annually in free agency, according to Fischer. “He’s just a guy that can play with anybody,” the evaluator said of Powell. “He doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. He’s a good defender, he’s a great athlete, he gets to the rim. You can play him at the three, you can play him at the two. He’s a great character guy.”
  • Multiple league executives believe that Lakers guard Dennis Schröder is aiming to be paid like a top-tier point guard and that he’ll be prioritizing a starting role. The Knicks are among the teams mulling a run at him, sources tell Fischer.
  • League executives who spoke to Fischer identified Nets guard Bruce Brown, Knicks big man Nerlens Noel, and Lakers teammates Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker as some other under-the-radar free agents who could be in line for eight-digit annual salaries on their new deals.

Southwest Notes: Hardaway, Ball, Tate, Louzada, Porzingis

Tim Hardaway Jr. has been improving his free agent stock with some high-level offensive performances in recent games. The Mavericks guard erupted for 42 points against Detroit last week and tore up Miami’s defense for 36 points on Wednesday, Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News notes. He drained a franchise record-tying 10 three-pointers against the Heat. “When you have been hot like that, had it going, you’re not really focused on any records or anything like that,” said Hardaway, who will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. “The game was just coming to me.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

  • Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball tied his career best with 33 points against Golden State on Tuesday, bouncing back from a 3-for-18 shooting performance the previous game. He vowed to franchise player Zion Williamson in a text message that he wouldn’t have two bad outings in a row, according to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez. “I’m glad he’s my teammate,” Williamson said. “You love to have teammates like that can say stuff like that and come the next day and show out. He just wants to win.” Williamson’s “love” for Ball could be a factor in how aggressive the franchise is willing to be in retaining the point guard as a restricted free agent this summer.
  • The Rockets, who already have numerous players sitting out, added another one to the inactive list when forward Jae’Sean Tate was placed under the league’s health and safety protocols, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The undrafted rookie has appeared in 65 games, including 53 starts, averaging 11.2 PPG and 5.4 RPG.
  • Didi Louzada has finally completed the work visa process and joined the Pelicans, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets. New Orleans officially signed the draft-and-stash prospect on April 27. The Brazilian signed a multiyear contract after playing in Australia this season. He’ll be available to play on Friday, Lopez tweets.
  • Kristaps Porzingis is making progress from his sore right knee and Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle expects him to return before the postseason, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets“I anticipate that he will play regular-season games at some point, but I don’t know when,” Carlisle said. The big man has been out since April 29.