Dallas Mavericks: 5 floor spacing free agents to pair with Luka Doncic

The Dallas Mavericks should target Tim Hardaway Jr. in 2021 NBA free agency

Aside from negotiating a record-setting extension for Luka Doncic this summer, getting a deal done with Tim Hardaway Jr. will certainly be atop the Dallas Mavericks’ to-do list this offseason.

Hardaway is coming off a fantastic season where he averaged 16.6 points on .447/.391/.816 shooting splits, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. After coming off the bench for a large portion of the season, Hardaway was promoted into the starting lineup late in the year and started all seven games against the Clippers in round one. The guard proved to be one of the few sources of consistent offense for Dallas in that series aside from Doncic, making his case to earn a new contract.

While nothing is set in stone just yet, it appears likely that he will receive such a deal. Hardaway’s skillset on the offensive end makes him an ideal fit next to Doncic and Porzingis – if they ultimately cannot trade the latter this offseason – meaning he could play that third fiddle role perfectly. The most apparent reasoning is his prolific 3-point shooting, as the swingman has shot 38.6 percent from distance on 7.4 attempts over 160 games played with the team. An outside shot like that is just what Dallas needs to bolster this offense.

While bringing Hardaway back seems like an easy decision for Dallas, the biggest question is just how much money he could be looking to make on his next deal. There could certainly be some conflicting opinions from a financial perspective, but it seems reasonable to believe they will get a deal done one way or another.