The Dallas Mavericks have traded back into the 2022 draft to select Jaden Hardy, a 6’4 combo guard who most recently played for the G-League Ignite. A 5-star recruit out of Detroit, Hardy decided to forego college basketball and play for the Ignite, a developmental team affiliated with the G-League.
Hardy was very much on the NBA Draft radar after a stellar junior season at Coronado High School in Nevada (he moved there from Detroit just before attending), where he averaged over 30 points a game and was named Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year. Ranked second overall on ESPN’s Top 100 recruits, it was reported that he had offers from major programs like Kentucky and UCLA, but opted the G-League route, following in the footsteps of players like last draft’s No.