NBA Rumors: Mavericks Could Get Victor Oladipo For Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green & 2025 First-Rounder
The Houston Rockets may have only recently acquired Victor Oladipo in the four-way blockbuster deal that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets, but a recent list of trade ideas hinted that the Dallas Mavericks could hypothetically make a move for him prior to the March 25 deadline.
As explained by Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley on Wednesday, Luka Doncic is posting MVP-caliber numbers for the Mavericks and is averaging close to a triple-double with 27.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per game. However, Dallas is in the bottom half of the Western Conference, with their 8-9 record placing them 10th out of 15 teams. As such, the team might be in need of a third top-tier player to play alongside Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis in the starting lineup.
In the hypothetical deal, the Mavericks could acquire Oladipo from the Rockets for a package that includes starting shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr., rookie wingman Josh Green, and a top-seven protected first-round pick in the 2025 draft. This transaction, as noted, could be plausible considering how recent reports suggested that Oladipo is not happy with the Rockets, with Houston management possibly unwilling to pay big money to re-sign him as a free agent in the 2021 offseason.
According to Buckley, Oladipo could contribute to the Mavericks as a skilled scorer, shot creator, and defender, especially now that he’s seemingly close to recapturing the form he had prior to the knee injury that slowed him down for most of the past two seasons. In 13 games with the Indiana Pacers and the Rockets, the 28-year-old has posted averages of 20.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.6 steals and is shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three-point range, per Basketball-Reference.
Despite how Oladipo’s potential arrival could make the Mavericks considerably more competitive in the West, the Bleacher Report writer cautioned that his injury history — as well as Porzingis’ own health issues — could force Dallas to limit their minutes and make use of some “load management.”
Regarding how the Rockets could benefit from the theoretical move, Buckley brought up how Houston has “almost nothing stored away” for its rebuilding efforts, aside from big man Christian Wood, who is enjoying a breakout season. However, that could change if the club gives Green substantial playing time, as his defense and athleticism could make him a “keeper” for the young team.
As shown on his Basketball-Reference page, Hardaway (17.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 38.5 percent from beyond the arc) is putting up solid numbers for the Mavericks, but with his contract set to expire this summer, he could turn out to be a half-season rental — if not used as trade bait in a separate deal.
