Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy wins G League contest

The Dallas Mavericks traded two future second-round picks to get back into the 2022 NBA Draft to select Jaden Hardy. They dealt their second-round selection in the Kristaps Porzingis deadline day deal, and their first-round pick was traded this summer to acquire Christian Wood. The Mavs had zero picks on the morning of the draft, but when Hardy slipped into the second round, his value became too good to pass up.

The 6’4 guard played for the G League Ignite last season where he averaged 19.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 32.6 minutes per game. Hardy is a proven scorer, but he struggled with his efficiency. The 20-year-old shot 37.6 percent from the field and committed 3.4 turnovers per game. He will need to clean things up if he wants to crack the Mavs rotation this season.

The G League ran a clutch photo contest last week as the NBA celebrated their best makes, and it was Jaden Hardy that took home the top prize. See the snapshot below before diving into what to expect from the 6’4 guard during his rookie season.

Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy wins G League contest

G League allowed fans to vote for the best clutch photo, and it was Hardy’s picture that won in a landslide. Fans can see the picture that received over 70 percent of the final vote below.

Nothing stopped Jaden Hardy during his lone season with the G League Ignite. No matter what happened, the 20-year-old still believed that the next shot was going in.

Hardy will struggle to crack the Dallas Mavericks rotation as a rookie. Expect him to play the majority of his minutes with the Texas Legends in the G League as the Mavs try to develop him. His confidence and self-belief are there, but he needs to work on his decision-making.

Will Jaden Hardy go down as one of the steals of the 2022 NBA Draft? He certainly has the talent to do just that, and fans should watch his development closely this season.