The Dallas Mavericks have had quite a hectic start to free agency, and it doesn't seem like they will be slowing down anytime soon. While they did lose Derrick Jones Jr. to the Los Angeles Clippers, they managed to replace him by signing Naji Marshall to a three-year, $27 million deal. Perhaps the biggest rumor surrounding the team, though, is that they are firmly in the running for Klay Thompson.
There are a lot of big fish for this team to fry, but they also have some smaller moves that they need to make in order to keep their roster in tip-top shape. One of those decisions came in regards to Jaden Hardy's contract, and the front office decided to fully guarantee his $2 million salary for the 2024-25 campaign after he put together a strong body of work this past season.
Mavericks hoping Jaden Hardy can take on bigger role moving forward
Hardy was a second-round pick for the Mavs in the 2022 NBA Draft, but he quickly found a role with the team in the 2022-23 campaign. He took a bit of a step back this past season (7.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 40.7 FG%), but he's an effective scorer off the bench who can give Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving a break when they need it.
While the Mavericks are being extremely cap-conscious this offseason as they look to improve their team, guaranteeing Hardy's salary isn't a major surprise. $2 million isn't all that much in the NBA, and this will now allow Dallas to decide whether he should be used as an asset in a potential sign-and-trade deal for Thompson, or if he can assume a bigger role for the team moving forward.
The main issue for Hardy early in his career has been his size, as he frequently gets picked on by opposing offenses when he's on the floor. Hardy is only going to be 22 next season, so he still has a lot of time to figure things out, but in order for him to become a consistent contributor on the floor, he's going to have to improve on that side of the ball.
With Doncic and Irving leading the way in the Mavericks backcourt, Hardy's ability to grow is a bit limited for the time being. However, if he can continue to shine as a skilled scorer off the bench behind these guys, his value will only increase, which is precisely what Dallas is hoping will happen now that they have made this move.
Now that this is set in stone, the Mavs front office can fully turn their attention back to some more pressing matters, chief among them being Thompson. Hardy's future with the team is still a bit murky, but Dallas has several options when it comes to what they can do with him, and it will be worth paying a bit of attention to him, even as the team eyes some bigger deals.
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