Ranking every Dallas Mavericks player by trade likelihood

5. Jaden Hardy

The Dallas Mavericks struck gold in the 2022 NBA Draft when they traded into the second round to select Jaden Hardy. Hardy was the No. 1 player coming out of high school, but some concerns about his efficiency and finishing caused him to slip in the draft.

Hardy proved that he should have been a first-round pick as he averaged 8.8 points per game as a rookie and shot 40.4 percent from 3-point range. He showed promise that he would be a good piece for Dallas moving forward, and the Mavs refrained from trading him over the summer despite teams around the league's interest in him around the time of the draft.

Despite Hardy's great rookie season, he has taken a small step back this year. Hardy is averaging 7.0 points per game and is shooting 39.2 percent from the floor and 37.7 percent from downtown. He hasn't improved as much as expected, and his efficiency has been concerning.

Hardy had a massive bounce-back game on Wednesday night against the LA Clippers as he scored 15 points and knocked down five 3-pointers. This is the type of production they need from him.

Hardy is someone I could see Dallas trading because of strong play from other guards around him and the necessity to win right now. Dallas could also wait to see if Hardy continues to develop, but he is someone who has not met expectations this season.