It's a make-or-break season for this fourth-year Mavericks guard

Dallas badly needs guard play with Kyrie Irving out until February.

Apr 2, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (1) reacts after scoring against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks are in dire need of guard play after the March injury to Kyrie Irving suffered against the Sacramento Kings. His ACL tear will sideline him for a return in late January at the earliest, meaning the other members of Dallas' back court will have to pick up the slack in the meantime.

The lead initiator spot will be held by players like D'Angelo Russell, Dante Exum, Brandon Williams, and possibly, the Mavericks' two undrafted free agents in Ryan Nembhard and Miles Kelly – but who will help fill the gap left in Irving's scoring ability?

READ MORE: Mavericks' Mount Rushmore has one glaring omission

Mar 31, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (1) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Brooklyn Nets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Can Jaden Hardy Find a Consistent Role?

One of those players could potentially be Jaden Hardy, a two-guard selected with the no. 37 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Hardy was a five-star recruit out of high school who opted to play with the now-defunct G League Ignite.

A player who had a high pedigree in his early days, Hardy has been relegated to a bench assignment in the NBA, but he could serve a major role for this team this season, given their lack of scoring punch off the ball.

Last season, Hardy averaged 8.7 points while shooting 38.6% from beyond the arc, something that the Mavericks can tap into this season, given their lack of perimeter shooting with Irving out for the length of time he is projected to be. Hardy has also shown flashes of playmaking ability, but must limit his turnovers if he is going to play any lead guard minutes.

Hardy is still a young player – just 23 years old – meaning that there may be more potential for him as a scoring threat for this Dallas roster. Though he will be competing with players like Max Christie for minutes at the off-guard spot, there is not a ton of depth at that position for Dallas, meaning he could easily be someone who earns more time on the floor this year.

The Mavericks' stars are mostly older players outside of rookie phenom Cooper Flagg, meaning that they need to move in a direction of prioritizing young players like Hardy and get them acclimated in case they need them to take a step forward as a franchise. If they want to build around Flagg, which seems to be the plan, then guards like Jaden Hardy need to be used early and often this season.

If Hardy can cut down on the turnovers and score consistently while maintaining long-range efficiency, he may find himself in a bigger role than ever before in 2025-26.

READ MORE: What if Mavericks traded for LeBron James a year ago?

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