2. Tim Hardaway Jr. shouldn’t be hard to get away from
Dallas may have failed to stage another upset and claim the Larry O’Brien trophy this season, but everyone should be in unison proclaiming them as major winners this year. The Mavericks will be back, and their impressive performance across-the-board in a pretty brutal Western Conference is a nice preface to their staying power as a bona fide behemoth moving forward.
For them to take the next step, though, roster upgrades must be effected this summer. Trading Tim Hardaway Jr., a meager playoff contributor whose expiring contract could be useful to lure in a high-end role player, would be high on their priority list. Thankfully, the 76ers haven’t been mentioned as potential destination.
Buddy Hield’s likely departure pumps an iota of reason as to why in the world would the 76ers try to pluck THJ from the Mavericks, especially given the fact that the latter would essentially be a giveaway, potentially with attached pot sweeteners. Having said that, Philadelphia is desperate to get its hands on 16-game players and not those who only thrive in low-pressure situations. The 32-year-old sharpshooter is definitely not from that ilk.