Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Nabs three steals Thursday
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Hardy chipped in seven points (3-6 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three steals, two rebounds and one assist over 22 minutes during Thursday's 115-113 loss to Utah.
With Kyrie Irving (shoulder) sidelined Thursday, the 22-year-old Hardy saw an uptick in playing time and was able to tie Naji Marshall for the team high in steals. Hardy has seen a slight downturn in playing time compared to last season, and through 11 regular-season appearances in the 2024-25 campaign, he has averaged 3.8 points, 1.3 assists and 1.1 rebounds across 12.6 minutes per game. The guard has only played 20-plus minutes in two games thus far and is shooting only 34.9 percent from the field.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Provides spark off bench
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Hardy notched 11 points (4-10 FG, 3-7 3Pt) and two assists in 13 minutes during Wednesday's 119-99 victory over Chicago.
Hardy was Dallas' leading bench scorer during Wednesday's win. The 22-year-old guard is averaging 4.1 points in 10.9 minutes across seven appearances this season.
Hardy and the Mavericks agreed to a three-year, $18 million contract extension Monday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Hardy has showcased immense upside in his first two seasons in the NBA, but he faces an uphill battle for consistent playing time. As long as Luka Doncic (calf), Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson are healthy, it'll be difficult for Hardy to provide quality fantasy production. However, if any of those players are sidelined for an extended period this season, Hardy would be a primary beneficiary.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Moves back to bench Thursday
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Hardy isn't in the starting lineup for Thursday's preseason game against the Bucks.
The Mavericks are starting Kyrie Irving and Quentin Grimes in the backcourt, so Hardy will return to the bench. That's the role he's expected to have when the 2024-25 regular season begins for Dallas, so Hardy isn't worth targeting in most drafts.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Returns to starting five Monday
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Coach Jason Kidd said Hardy will start in Monday's preseason matchup against the Clippers, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
With both Luka Doncic (calf) and Kyrie Irving (rest) out, Hardy will return to the starting five. The 22-year-old is expected to serve as Irving's primary backup at shooting guard, though he will have to compete for playing time with Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Not starting vs. Utah
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Hardy is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's preseason game against the Jazz, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
The Mavericks are starting Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving for this preseason contest, so Hardy should see minutes off the bench. However, both starters will be restricted, so Hardy should still see plenty of minutes throughout the contest.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Flirts with double-double
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Hardy totaled 21 points (6-16 FG, 6-10 3Pt, 3-4 FT), three rebounds, nine assists and three steals in 34 minutes during Monday's 121-116 preseason loss to the Grizzlies.
Hardy led all scorers with 21 points and looked sharp from beyond the arc, though it's also worth noting that he logged a game-high 34 minutes, which inflated his final line. He figures to face an uphill battle for regular playing time competing against the likes of Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes, but Monday's performance was a strong way to kick off the preseason for the young guard.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Cleans up in garbage time
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Hardy closed with 13 points (4-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds and one assist over 11 minutes during Thursday's 107-89 loss to the Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Hardy scored 11 points in about five minutes of fourth-quarter garbage time. Considering the defensive presences of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, it may be difficult for Hardy to make an impact, though he'll likely continue to see light minutes to spell Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Heats up off bench in Game 4
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Hardy posted 13 points (5-8 FG, 3-4 3Pt) and one rebound across 12 minutes during Tuesday's 105-100 loss to Minnesota in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
Hardy has yet to play more than 12 minutes in any game in the series, and he's yet to log more than 15 minutes in any playoff appearance this season, but he made the most of his time in this Game 4 loss. The lack of minutes he's seen suggests this was a one-off outburst, however, so fantasy managers shouldn't trust him in Game 5 of the series Thursday.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Cracks rotation Friday
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Hardy finished with one point (0-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), one assist and one steal in three minutes during Friday's 101-90 win over the Clippers in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Hardy, along with A.J. Lawson and Dwight Powell, secured a handful of minutes down the stretch Friday. With the game well in hand, the Mavericks were able to give their fringe players a rare opportunity to see playoff basketball. This is not something we should expect to see very often moving forward.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Moves to bench
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Hardy will run with the second unit for Sunday's Game 1 against the Clippers, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Hardy is unlikely to be relevantly utilized in the postseason rotation, with the second-year guard having no playoff experience under his belt. Dallas' backcourt is fully healthy entering their first-round series against the Clippers.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Starting Sunday
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Hardy will start at point guard in Sunday's regular-season finale in Oklahoma City.
With Luka Doncic (ankle) and Kyrie Irving (hamstring) sidelined, Hardy will get the keys to the car for the Mavericks to close out the season. He has averaged 11.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists across 26.8 minutes in six starts this season.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Records season-high 25 points
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Hardy racked up 25 points (9-19 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and one steal across 29 minutes during Friday's 107-89 loss to the Pistons.
With Luka Doncic (ankle) and Kyrie Irving (hamstring) out, Hardy received increased playing time against Detroit. The 21-year-old guard capitalized on this opportunity by posting a season-high 25 points Friday. In the six outings in which Hardy has played at least 25 minutes this season, he is averaging 19.2 points, 4.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Barely utilized Tuesday
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Hardy finished with two points (0-2 FG, 2-2 FT) across two minutes during Tuesday's 137-120 loss to the Pacers.
Hardy played two minutes in garbage time, basically the fourth straight game in which he has been out of the primary rotation. While he has been able to flash some upside this season, Hardy is yet to establish himself as a reliable source of production, both in real life and fantasy. As long as the Mavericks' backcourt is relatively healthy, Hardy holds no real fantasy value.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Get buckets in win
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Hardy totaled 17 points (6-10 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and one rebound across 15 minutes during Monday's 118-102 victory over Philadelphia.
Hardy has now posted at least 15 points in three of his past four games, and continuing his strong scoring Monday in Kyrie Irving's return from a six-game absence due to a thumb injury is notable. Hardy flashes an intriguing combination of downhill attacking, vertical pop and two-way energy in his second season.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Reaches 15 points as starter
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Hardy closed with 15 points (6-14 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, two assists and one steal over 31 minutes during Wednesday's 121-87 loss to the Timberwolves.
Hardy replaced Luka Doncic (ankle) in the starting lineup, finishing as one of two Mavericks players with 15 or more points while adding a pair of rebounds and steals. Hardy has tallied at least 15 points in seven games this season, three of which have come as a starter. Hardy has now finished with 15 or more points in two straight contests, though when the Mavs are at full strength he'll return to a lesser role.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Starting against Minnesota
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Hardy is in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Timberwolves.
Hardy will replace Luka Doncic (ankle) in the starting five Wednesday. Hardy is averaging 11.2 points, 4.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 26.0 minutes across his previous five starting appearances this season.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Retreats to bench
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Hardy isn't starting Monday's game against the Magic, Grant Afseth of SI.com reports.
Hardy drew a spot start Saturday against the Kings due to the absences of Kyrie Irving (thumb), Dante Exum (knee) and Derrick Jones (wrist), and while this trio remains sidelined, the Mavs have elected to give Tim Hardaway a chance with the starters. Hardy is averaging 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 16.8 minutes through 13 January appearances.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Starting Saturday
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Hardy will join the first five for Saturday's game against Sacramento.
With Kyrie Irving (thumb), Dante Exum (knee) and Derrick Jones (wrist) sidelined, Hardy will step into the starting lineup for Saturday's game. In his four other starts this season, Hardy averaged 13.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
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Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Nets 11 points over 15 minutes
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Hardy ended Wednesday's 132-109 loss to the Suns with 11 points (4-9 FG, 3-4 3Pt), three rebounds and two assists across 15 minutes.
In a game the Mavericks played without star guard Kyrie Irving (thumb), Hardy ended as the team's third-leading scorer and as one of only three Dallas players to reach double-digit scoring. The second-year guard posted double-digit points in three straight games to begin January, but this was only his second such outing across eight contests since. Not coincidentally, Hardy's offensive numbers have dropped as Irving has built back his minutes following a lengthy absence, and fantasy managers should be aware that Hardy's opportunity to make substantial contributions largely relies upon injuries in the team's backcourt.
