Dallas Mavericks: Biggest questions heading into the offseason

5 of 6

Dallas Mavericks Tim Hardaway Jr. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Biggest offseason question for the Dallas Mavericks: 2. THJ’s player option

Some viewed Tim Hardaway Jr. as a throw-in part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade in Jan. 2019. The Knicks wanted off of his contract to chase free agents. Dallas was taking him on as a necessity of acquiring the Unicorn.

That narrative turned out to be false quickly. Dallas started Hardaway Jr. and made him a key piece of their offense almost immediately after the trade. He missed the final 11 games of last season with an injury. The Mavs viewed him as a key piece heading into this season, though.

THJ outperformed expectations. He averaged 15.8 points per game on 43.4 percent shooting from the field and 39.8 percent on his 3-point tries. Hardaway Jr. became the Mavericks’ third scorer and had one of the most efficient seasons of his NBA career.

He has an $18.975 million player option for next season. The Mavs are unlikely to reward him with a long-term deal because they want to preserve cap space for the summer of 2021. THJ will have to opt in to stay in Dallas. Will he do that? Does he decide to look for a long-term deal on the open market?

Tim Hardaway Jr. will have to make that decision this offseason. His choice will have ripple effects on the Dallas Mavericks.

Next: No. 1