It’s a Hardy party for three more years!
According to ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania, the Dallas Mavericks and guard Jaden Hardy agreed to a three-year, $18 million rookie-scale extension ahead of Monday’s 5 PM CDT deadline. Though Dallas did not come to terms with Quentin Grimes, they succeeded in locking in their other rotational piece from the 2022 Draft class.
Hardy is entering his third NBA season; he did not attend college and instead played one season for the now-defunct G-League Ignite. Though Hardy’s playing time and production have been inconsistent over his first two NBA seasons, he’s shown promise as a scorer, off-ball shooter, and playmaker. During the Mavericks’ run to the NBA Finals a season ago, Hardy supplanted Dante Exum in the playoff rotation, providing the Mavericks with some meaningful minutes in each of their final three postseason series.
No matter how one feels about Hardy as a player, this is a very team-friendly extension. Retaining a young rotation player for a $6 million AAV is fantastic value. Even if Hardy falls out of favor, his contract makes up a tiny percentage of the salary cap and is easily tradable. If Hardy takes a step forward and improves his production, his contract will be a steal.
This upcoming season will be huge for Hardy. He needs to figure out his ideal role and how he can maximize his talent while fitting in with a title contender. I believe it starts with his three-point shooting, which is his best skill. Dallas has tried to give Hardy reps to grow as a primary ball handler, but that just isn’t his game. If he can focus on becoming a deadly off-ball threat alongside Kyrie Irving or Luka Doncic, Hardy can be very useful. His improved playmaking chops can be utilized by attacking closeouts and taking advantage of the space provided to him.
Hardy is a talented player. And, by all accounts, he’s an extremely hard worker with an upstanding character. Whatever Hardy’s ideal outcome as an NBA player is, he should reach it. If he does, this extension will be a home run for Dallas. If Hardy stagnates, it’s no harm done. These are the kinds of moves smart basketball teams make.