Knicks Trade Rumors: Five potential destinations for Tim Hardaway Jr.

2. Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks were a popular speculatory partner for the New York Knicks when Dennis Smith Jr. was briefly available in trade talks. Falling behind Luka Doncic, the former 2017 lottery pick was passed up by the Knicks’ old regime for Ntilikina, and with both point guard floundering for their respective teams, there was some logic behind a move.

Attached to them, Hardaway would move to Dallas for Wesley Matthews‘ expiring contract. It’s not a far-fetched deal if the Mavs want long-term pieces around Doncic and other incoming youth, but it depends how much they value the ball-dominant 26-year-old to play next to the likely NBA Rookie of the Year.

Matthews will become a free agent this summer, so trading him for a salary that lasts an extra one or two seasons is questionable, unless Dallas sees enough value in Hardaway and taking Ntilikina over Smith.

There’s a greater fit here than other suitors, as Hardaway steps in as a starter and tries to play part in another rebuilding situation. Acting as a ball-dominant player may hurt this down the road, but maybe a change of scenery refreshes the sixth-year man, after a downhill past two months.

Outside of Matthews’ deal, unless the Knicks took on DeAndre’s Jordan’s expiring and sent him elsewhere, it’s the only avenue to complete this deal between the Knicks and Mavs.