It's time for Mavericks to trade Jaden Hardy and end the experiment for good

Originally drafted 37th overall in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks took a chance when they traded for guard Jaden Hardy. Playing in 48 games in the 2022-23 season, Hardy was steady as a rookie, averaging 8.8 points per game and becoming a knockdown shooter off the bench who stepped up his game as the season unwound.

Heading into his second season, the Mavericks' expectations for Hardy were going to be higher, as they needed to make a playoff push after missing the playoffs in the season prior. However, his point total dropped, and despite some big games in the Mavericks' run to the 2024 NBA Finals, fans questioned his effect on winning and long-term fit.

For the 2024-25 season, Hardy was on the line of fighting to be a core piece or a trade bait, as the Mavs needed as much backcourt help as they could get. But, the end of the season was a struggle, and now the Mavericks might have to make the decision to trade him this offseason, but it could end up benefiting the franchise in the long run.

Jaden Hardy isn't the player that the Mavericks need him to be

Hardy averaged 8.7 points per game in 57 games played in the 2024-25 season, which was higher than his 2023-24 point total, but his role fluctuated, and after he'd fall back into the purgatory of Jason Kidd's bench. The end of Hardy's 2024-25 season saw some success with 12.3 points per game for the month of April during the Mavs' unbelievable injury spell, but his final regular season game saw a bad -44 +/-, forcing fans to question if his score-first playstyle leads to winning games.

The struggles from the final regular season game from Hardy carried over into the Mavericks' attempt to make the NBA Playoffs for the second consecutive season. In the Mavericks' first game of the Play-In Tournament against the Kings, Hardy played just two minutes and recorded one foul. Hardy then wouldn't play in the following Play-In Tournament game, in the loss against the Memphis Grizzlies, showing that Kidd doesn't trust him and sealing his fate as a questionable fit at best.

Hardy had some inconsistency issues early in the season in October that would continue throughout the season. Kidd would continue to trust Hardy by giving him playing time at times, but Hardy couldn't prove that he deserved to be an every-night rotation player.

Hardy averaged fewer rebounds and assists per game in 2024-25 than he did in 2023-24. Hardy also averaged more turnovers, and his free-throw percentage was down in 2024-25, showing that his development wasn't going as well as Mavs fans may have hoped.

One reason the Mavericks may need to trade Hardy is his contract, as $6 million per season is a steep salary for someone who likely won't even be in the rotation.

Being young and still having potential, Hardy can still draw interest from some teams that need a scorer and shooter off the bench. His off-ball play is stronger than people realize, and if a team utilized him as a catch-and-shoot guard, they'd be pleased with his production.

If the Mavericks were to trade Hardy, he would get a fresh start and bring energy to a new team. This seems needed for him, as he needs minutes to develop, but that may not be something that he'll get in Kidd's system. Their backcourt is already loaded, and he will likely be in Kidd's doghouse once again if they don't trade him.