The Unpopular Jaden Hardy Decision

After narrowly missing out on a championship the previous season, the Dallas Mavericks have their sights set on one. As Luka Doncic approaches his peak, the team brought in Klay Thompson in the offseason.

Dallas possesses a talented pool that includes both established players and up-and-coming young players like Dereck Lively II.

The new CBA makes it harder to maintain a competitive roster. Teams get pricey, and if a franchise tries to pay everyone, it will severely limit how many players it can have on its roster.

Luka Doncic will start a new max contract the following year, and Kyrie Irving will probably start a new one in the 2025–2026 season. To escape the second tax apron, the Mavs need to find somewhere to save money.

As he approaches the last year of his rookie deal, Jaden Hardy will be eligible to sign a restricted free agent contract in the summer of 2025. The 22-year-old will probably be looking for a raise because he has shown glimpses.

The front office and Nico Harrison are faced with a tough choice, and the outcome is probably not going to be well-liked.

Being a score-first guard who requires possession of the ball, Hardy has had difficulty getting into the game. Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic are the leaders of Dallas.

Hardy will have to play off one of the Mavs players and his minutes will probably be limited to 15 per game if both play 35 or more minutes per game and are staggered.

In order to play that bucket-grabbing role off the bench, Dallas signed Spencer Dinwiddie, which moves Hardy farther down the rotation.

Jason Kidd, the head coach, has several alternatives, and the Mavericks are motivated to succeed. Anticipate that the Hall of Famer will look to his seasoned players to get the most out of their on-court performance.

Dallas is aware that it needs a good defense to win, and Hardy’s defense is troublesome. Because Coach Kidd must play the games, strong defenders like Dante Exum and Quentin Grimes get more playing time than Hardy.

Both Kyrie and Luka contribute a lot of offensive force and scoring. For the Mavs to have the best chance of winning, they must have a defensive stopper adjacent to them.

Jaden Hardy has shown himself to be a capable bucket-getter and plus-shooter. In a role that will probably disappear in the postseason, will he play 15 minutes a game for the Mavericks at great cost? Probably not the best use of their meager resources.

Dallas should concentrate on constructing their core around player 77 since Hardy is a bad fit whenever Doncic is playing.

The Mavs should look into the 22-year-old’s trade market right away because he will receive a raise next summer. Dallas is only $493,056 under the first tax apron where they are firmly capped, thus finding a deal is difficult.

Although Hardy’s $2.0 million salary won’t be simple to match, figuring out which teams are interested might lead to a future trade that benefits the Mavericks by strengthening their squad.

To get the most out of Jaden Hardy, the Dallas Mavericks should try to trade him before the deadline. The 22-year-old intends to make a big splash and earn more money, but it won’t be simple in the short amount of time.

Dallas needs to move on and find someone that fits their roster better.

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