Former second-round pick Jaden Hardy signed a three-year, $18MM extension with the Mavericks earlier this week. Hardy, who is making just over $2MM this season, will earn a flat $6MM salary in each year of the extension, which kicks in during the 2025/26 season, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. As previously reported, the third year (2027/28) is a team option.
Hardy has made promising strides in Dallas over his first two seasons, averaging 7.9 points per game and making 37.9% of his three-pointers in 121 appearances since being the No. 37 overall pick. He appeared in 19 games during Dallas’s Finals run last season and led the Mavericks in scoring in the preseason with 15.0 PPG.
Fresh off his extension, he expressed gratitude to get the chance to stay with the team that offered him the runway to be a successful NBA player, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal writes.
“I’m super grateful for it to be in this position, to get to my second contract. Not a lot of players are able to do that,” Hardy said. “But I’m still not going to let this contract define me. I’ll keep working, I’m coming for more, and just staying humble.”
After securing a long-term deal, Hardy told Afseth he has a new goal in mind for this coming season.
“Really, this is where I want to be, ultimately. I can play my game and go out there freely,” Hardy said. “My main focus is winning the championship this year. But also, my goal is to win Sixth Man (of the Year).”
There are a few more interesting comments from Hardy and head coach Jason Kidd regarding the coming season.
Kidd on Hardy being extended:
“Yeah, well deserved. Just shows another case of patience. You look at the work he’s put in, and it’s well deserved for everybody around him.”
Kidd on what Hardy’s role will look like this coming season:
“Yeah, I think we’ll see how that goes with the different combinations that we’ll look at here early on. He’ll have an opportunity to play with [Kyrie Irving].”
Hardy on his communication with the coaching staff, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News:
“I’ve talked to Jason, asked him what it is that he wants to see from me. He just tells me that what I’ve been doing, to keep doing it. His big thing is for me to keep working and stay hungry.”
Rory Maher contributed to this post.
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