The Detroit Pistons are trading Quentin Grimes to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for veteran forward Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
New Pistons president Trajan Langdon was very direct and clear about what his offseason priority and plan was as the team entered the offseason with more than $60 million in cap space — add shooting and use the cap space in trades for players who could shoot and net extra draft assets along the way.
The deal is also a sign that the new regime did not have an incredible amount of faith in Grimes, who was a trade deadline acquisition of the Troy Weaver regime in a trade with the Knicks for Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks.
At the time, the return for the two veterans from Detroit looked bad, and with this deal it means that Weaver’s two veterans, who would have fetched more if dealt the year prior, netted five second-round picks and the $16 million final season of Tim Hardaway Jr.’s deal.
Collecting Extra Assets
The picks Detroit will receive are reportedly a 2025 second via Toronto and two 2028 seconds, per Woj. Those 2028 picks appear to be a less favorable pick of Charlotte or the Clippers, and Dallas’ own pick.
Hardaway had fallen out of favor in Dallas after years of being a key contributor. he played the second-most minutes on the team in the regular season but was sent to the bench and played just 178 minutes (ninth on the team) in the playoff run that saw Dallas lose in the NBA Finals.
Moving off Hardaway’s $16 million salary means the Mavericks are better positioned to re-sign Derrick Jones Jr. DJJ was a key contributor defensively and as a spot-up shooter during Dallas’ run to the finals.
What of Grimes?
The deal, from a Detroit perspective, is really about how you value Grimes as an actual asset. I was excited when the Pistons grabbed Grimes from Detroit because, while he is offensively limited, he is a potentially great perimeter defender. He was terrible in a six-game audition in Detroit as he recovered from knee injuries, but I was hopeful that a healthy offseason and the chance to increase consistency on his three with Fred Vinson would turn Grimes into a sixth man or even a starter.
Langdon, it appears, felt otherwise. I get it, even if I don’t like it. Grimes’ offensive role was always going to max out as a catch-and-shoot option and nothing more. The new man in charge of the Pistons seems to want more dynamic skills than that. Or, at least, didn’t believe that development was not the priority among all the team’s young development priorities. Grimes will be a restricted free agent after the season. Considering the going rate to take on Hardaway’s deal was at least two second-round picks, it seems Detroit got either nothing or next-to-nothing in exchange for Grimes.
What Hardaway Brings Detroit
Hardaway is an 11-year veteran and former Michigan Wolverine who is a high-volume 3-point shooter, which he hits at a 36% rate for his career. Still a reasonably reliable shot-maker, Hardaway got to the free-throw line at his lowest rate since 2015, tied for his lowest rebounding season since 2016, and had his fewest rate of attempts at the rim in his career.
In his current form, he is a reliable veteran who can soak up minutes, shots, and shoot at volume with slightly above-average efficiency. That’s actually an incredibly useful player to slot into Detroit’s rotation. I imagine he has the inside track to start at small forward alongside Simone Fontecchio at the other forward slot.
The deal eats into about $12 million of Detroit’s cap space, leaving them roughly $51 million to spend on additional trades and free agents.