Tim Hardaway Says Luka Doncic Trade 'Worked Out Very Well'

Former NBA point guard Tim Hardaway shared his thoughts on his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, in an exclusive interview with The Action Network.

Hardaway, 59, said the Luka Doncic trade worked out very well. He then said it’s going to be tough for Cooper Flagg before expressing uncertainty about how the Mavericks would use Flagg, 18. Read on for the latest.

Tim Hardaway Says Luka Doncic Trade Worked Out

In an interview with The Action Network, Tim Hardaway was asked an open-ended question. That question quizzed Hardaway, “We’re six months past the Luka trade and they’ve got the Cooper Flagg. How do you feel like that worked out for Dallas?”

Hardaway responded, “It worked out very well. You trade one of the top five guys in the NBA. And then get number one pick —who ever thought that would happen?”

“I don’t know where they’re going to put [Cooper] at. They got PJ Washington, they got AD, they got some other guys that can play and fit around Klay [Thompson]. [Kyrie] Irving’s coming back half season. I don’t know where they’re going to really play [Cooper] at, and I don’t know how they’re going to play him. I don’t know how they’re gonna use them, because you gotta understand — these guys have already won championships. Klay’s that won championships, you got AD that’s won championships.”

“I know you are the number one pick, but how are you gonna help us, and how are we gonna help you? That’s something that Dallas needs to figure out. This guy’s a great talent. I think he’s going to grow. He got the mind level to grow as a really good basketball player. But you gotta remember, he’s a rookie. He’s only 18, 19 years old. He’s coming in. His confidence can falter. You gotta have strong people that can build him up and keep him up. It’s gonna be tough, man. It’s gonna be tough.”

Tim Hardaway’s Cooper Flagg Assessment

The Action Network’s interview with Tim Hardaway continued. The Action Network asked Hardaway, “How do you make room for Cooper Flagg to grow and to make mistakes while still trying to compete and win?”

Hardaway responded, “That’s something they have to figure out as a team, as a coach, you have to figure out his growth play. You gotta figure out his mistakes. You can’t beat him down. You have to keep his confidence level up because you don’t need that guy. He’s fragile. The kid is fragile. He is coming into a situation where they wanna win. Right now.”

“It’s not like [Orlando] Magic coming in after winning the championship and understanding how to run a team. This guy is not like that. I don’t think his mind is ready for that type of play right now. The pressure that they are about to put on the team. The pressure the press is about to put on him.”

“You gotta go against guys that think they are better than you in the NBA. They look at you like, “Hey, I got a chip on my shoulder, you number one. Let me see what you are about.”

“It’s a lot of stuff that you gotta help this guy with. His mindset is really good right now, but he hasn’t been really thrown into that fire. His eyes haven’t really gotten that big yet.”

“We are gonna see if he is able to deal with it and understand what he needs to do to get better. Sometimes he’s gonna be doing too much. Sometimes he’s gonna be doing less. So, the learning curve, it could be short, it could be long. With a veteran team, they wanna win now. It’s gonna be tough.”

Final Thoughts

Tim Hardaway — the father of Tim Hardaway Jr. — spoke positively of Luka Doncic but expressed uncertainty about Cooper Flagg. Hardaway played for the Dallas Mavericks from 2001-02. Hardaway Jr. also played for the Mavericks, but from 2019-2024. Both father and son were critical of the Mavericks.

Most recently, Hardaway criticized head coach Jason Kidd for benching Hardaway Jr. in September 2024. Hardaway Jr., now 33, left for the Detroit Pistons from 2024-25 before signing a one-year, minimum salary contract with the Denver Nuggets in July 2025.