Ranking the Dallas Mavericks' top 9 trade assets heading into the offseason

6. Jaden Hardy

Hardy was a second-round pick in 2022, but he quickly outperformed his draft position. The 20-year-old proved that he could get buckets from anywhere on the floor as he averaged 8.8 points and shot over 40 percent from 3-point range in just 14.8 minutes per game. Per-36 minutes, Hardy produced 21.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists as a rookie.

The Mavs had a first-round grade on the 6’4 guard, and they were hoping to take him with the 26th pick before they traded it to Houston for Christian Wood. Hardy deserved to be a first-round pick, and the 20-year-old still has plenty of room to grow.

What does Hardy become? He struggled to defend, but it feels like his floor is as a sixth man that can come into the game and get buckets. The 6’4 guard is slightly undersized, but he can finish inside and keeps improving his jumper. Could he blossom into a starter and leading scorer on a rebuilding team?

What are teams willing to pay for the 20-year-old rookie? Franchises will try to buy lower because of his defensive woes as a rookie, which landed him as the team’s sixth-most valuable trade asset. Rebuilding teams could view his scoring ability differently and may be willing to pay more for the bucket-getter.