Dallas Mavericks trade Josh Richardson to the Boston Celtics

The Dallas Mavericks want to improve their roster around Luka Doncic this summer. They have made the playoffs two consecutive years but were eliminated in the first round both times. Luka is already a top-five player in the NBA, but his supporting cast must improve for Dallas to jump into title contention.

It is a massive offseason for the Mavericks. Doncic is eligible for a supermax extension worth over $200 million. Getting his signature is expected, but Luka’s massive raise will limit the front office’s flexibility. They can create cap space this summer, and they must improve their roster.

To maximize their space the Mavericks had to get rid of Josh Richardson. The 6’5 wing had an $11.6 million player option for next season. He wanted to opt-in, but Dallas wanted him off their books. A resolution was reached on Friday evening.

Dallas Mavericks trade Josh Richardson to the Celtics

According to Shams Charania, the Mavs are trading Richardson to Boston. The deal allows him to opt-in and gives him a fresh start. The Celtics are looking to wings to play around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Richardson should be a solid fit in Boston. Here is more on the deal from ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Dallas is looking to re-sign Tim Hardaway Jr. and add a marquee free agent this summer. They need to clear cap space to make that a reality. If they renounce their cap holds and decline Willie Cauley-Stein’s player option, the Mavericks will have $34 million to work with on the open market. That won’t be enough to sign Kyle Lowry and Hardaway Jr. Dallas’ new front office will make another trade if they can land a marquee name.

Richardson’s one season with the Dallas Mavericks did not go as planned. They were hoping he could be their perimeter defensive stopper and secondary creator. J-Rich struggled in both roles and saw his playing time diminish in the playoffs. Hopefully, he has a bounce-back season in Boston. Sending him out for just a trade exception proves the deal was massive miss for Dallas.

The Mavericks are far from done this offseason. Check back to The Smoking Cuban for all the latest, plus analysis on every move.