Dallas Mavericks' perfect chance to trade sharpshooter is now

Yesterday, the Dallas Mavericks had one of their best wins of the season over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Dallas was coming off a loss to New Orleans and needed a win badly. The Pelicans are likely a team that Dallas will be clawing with in the standings during the second half of the season and avoiding the sweep in consecutive games with the Pelicans was crucial.

In this win, Kyrie Irving finished with 42 points, and Sixth Man of the Year candidate Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 41 points. He was one point shy of his career-high, and after the game, Hardaway Jr. said he knew he was close to his career-high but wanted to get the ball to the "hot hand" who was Irving.

Dallas Mavericks' perfect chance to trade sharpshooter is now

This shows the type of player Hardaway Jr. is, and he is on an absolute tear as of late.

He has scored 32, 24, and 41 points in the last three games and has shot a combined 18-36 from 3-point range in these games. This is arguably the best three-game stretch of Hardaway Jr.'s tenure with the Mavs, and he has been proving his value to this squad's bench unit all season long.

Despite Hardaway Jr.'s high level of play and importance to the bench unit, it has been rumored that Dallas is shopping him again. Hardaway Jr. is someone who Dallas was trying to trade all summer, and now it looks as if they could be looking to move him again.

Hardaway Jr. has been great for Dallas, but if they are looking to trade him, now might be the perfect time. His trade value is at an all-time high since being a member of the Mavericks, and his hot shooting and scoring prowess as of late help justify the $34 million that he is set to make over the next two years.

Dallas trading Hardaway Jr. has been so difficult because of his contract, but he is showing that he is worth that contract now.

For all the latest on Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Dallas Mavericks, stay tuned.