6 Dallas Mavericks players who need monster second halves to save their jobs

4. Jaden Hardy

Dallas Mavericks second-year guard Jaden Hardy is playing at an elite level right now, and he is finally stepping into his role.

Hardy is playing with more confidence than we have ever seen from him, and his improvement in a few major areas has been evident over the last few weeks. He has improved as a passer, playmaker, and defender, and he is making smarter decisions as well.

There were points at the beginning of the season when Hardy seemed unplayable, and now he has become someone who Dallas needs every night. His shooting off the catch and scoring in the mid-range have been deadly lately, but he needs to keep it up to ensure that he remains in Dallas' future plans.

Last summer, Hardy was someone whom teams around the league were intrigued with, but Dallas refused to deal him. If he continues to play the way that he is right now, Dallas will likely keep him around to be the leader of their bench unit, but if not, he could be someone who isn't on the roster next season.

Depending on how the Mavs finish this season, they could look to make another big trade this summer. The team must build the perfect roster around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and if Hardy's play somehow declines, he may not be in that long-term plan.