Former Mavericks draft pick is about to be kicked to the curb by his new team

After being traded to the Washington Wizards as part of the Anthony Davis deal, Jaden Hardy played some of the best basketball of his career down the stretch of the season, but this still may not be enough for the Wizards to keep him around heading into next season. The former Dallas Mavericks guard still has two seasons and $12 million remaining on his contract, but this may not be enough for Washington to keep him in their crowded backcourt.

Our Wizards' affiliate site, Wiz of Awes, believes that there's a good chance Hardy is traded or bought out this summer, despite standing out in limited opportunities in Washington. While injuries and tanking gave Hardy an opportunity to play down the stretch of the season in Washington, he'd have to compete with the likes of Trae Young, Bub Carrington, Tre Johnson, Kyshawn George, Cam Whitmore, and potentially even Sharife Cooper for minutes next season.

Hardy's time in Washington could already be over

It's certainly not impossible for Hardy to crack the end of the Wizards' rotation, but given that Washington is trying to showcase more of their proven young players in the backcourt as well as trying to be competitive next season, Hardy will be fighting an uphill battle for minutes if he sticks around in D.C.

Hardy's inconsistency shooting the ball and his inability to develop further as a playmaker and shot creator are what made parting ways with him in the Davis deal an easy sell to Mavericks fans, but he must be given credit for his efficiency in Washington. He averaged 12.6 points per game and shot 42 percent from downtown in 23 games with the Wizards to close the season, but this was obviously a very small stretch compared to the totality of what he's shown in his career.

Hardy has an up hill battle to prove himself in the league now

It'll be interesting to see if Hardy gets stretch-and-waived from the Wizards or if he gets traded, but with how talented the league is right now, it'll be difficult for him to find a spot in someone's rotation if he were to get bought out or stretch-and-waived. Hardy's too young and has shown enough promise to be certain that his NBA career is over after this season, but it's definitely looking like the Mavericks punted on him at the right time.

Dallas did acquire AJ Johnson in the Davis deal as well, and while Hardy has a better resume on his hands, there could be a benefit in the long run in terms of having swapped those two guards for the Mavericks. Regardless of playing well down the stretch of the season, though, potentially getting cut from the Wizards is not a good look for Hardy, so the Mavericks undoubtedly made the right move to get rid of him in the Davis deal, especially considering his lack of development.

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