The Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks engaged in a massive blockbuster trade in 2019 that sent big man Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. to Dallas in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, and a pair of first-rounders. At the time, it felt as if the deal was centered around Porzingis, who has drafted third overall and was a huge piece of the Knicks squad.
However, Tim Hardaway Sr. came out over the past weekend and made an appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas ahead of the Mavs' Game 7 showdown against the Los Angeles Clippers to insist that the Mavs wanted his son more than The Unicorn.
“Y’all wrong, the conversation was they were trying to get Tim here,” Hardaway said. “I’m serious. I’m going to tell you the truth. Dallas wanted to get Tim.”
Interesting take by Hardaway Sr., and who is to say he is wrong? The turmoil surrounding Porzingis at the time had basically signaled his ending with the Knicks sooner than later and they were inclined to deal him for something in return.
But to say that Hardaway Jr. was the main reason Dallas picked up the phone seems, well, a bit surprising. Fast forward to 2021 and it has been Hardaway Jr. who has been a huge part of the Mavs' success. He is the team's second-leading scorer at 18 points per game and has been terrific in the first-round series against the Clippers.
On the other hand, Porzingis has been injured quite a bit and played a total of 100 games in his time in Dallas. It might be a bold claim, but it could be the honest truth as Hardaway Sr. claims.
“Now, everybody is saying that Tim Hardaway Jr. was a throw-in. No, Porzingis was a throw-in,” Hardaway Sr. said.
Tim Hardaway Jr. has sure played well in Dallas while Kristaps Porzingis has struggled for various reasons. Now, THJ is well in line for a big payday in the offseason and could be a perfect sidekick to Luka Doncic after all.
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