Dallas Mavericks trade grade: Josh Richardson shipped to Boston

The Dallas Mavericks have their sights set on making a splash in free agency. Marc Stein rumored the organization to be eying re-signing Tim Hardaway Jr. and adding Kyle Lowry. The Mavs want to jump into title contention this summer and will need to make a splash in free agency to do so.

Dallas needs cap space to sign players. Dollars will be limited in future years because Luka Doncic is extension eligible this summer. The 22-year-old has one more year on his rookie deal before his salary will skyrocket. The added money will limit the Mavericks’ financial flexibility. They can create $32 million in space this offseason, but it means declining Willie Cauley-Stein’s player option and renouncing the rights to their current free agents.

The Mavericks solved a key piece of their cap space puzzle on July 30. According to Shams Charania, they shipped Josh Richardson to the Boston Celtics for Moses Brown and a trade exception. The deal allows J-Rich to exercise his $11.6 million player option and get a fresh start in Boston. How did the Mavs do in the deal?

Grading the Dallas Mavericks trading Josh Richardson to the Boston Celtics

The Mavs acquired Josh Richardson on draft night 2020 with a second-round pick from the Philadelphia 76ers for Seth Curry. They needed to improve their defense, but it cost Dallas one of the best shooters in the league. Curry played a key role in the Sixers have the best record in the Eastern Conference this season as J-Rich disappointed for the second straight year.

Here is a look at a grade for both the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks in the Josh Richardson for Moses Brown trade.

Next: Celtics grade for J-Rich deal