Jaden Amere Hardy (born July 5, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2021 class.
Early life
Hardy and his family moved to Henderson, Nevada from
Detroit, before high school.
He attended Coronado High School in Henderson. As a junior, Hardy averaged 30.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game, earning Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year and
Las Vegas Review-Journal Boys Athlete of the Year honors.
On January 8, 2021, he opted out from the remainder of his senior season.
He was named to the rosters for the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.
Hardy was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the best players in the 2021 class. Most recruiting analysts predicted that he would play professionally instead of attending college, with Kentucky and UCLA being his most likely college destinations.
Professional career
NBA G League Ignite (2021β2022)
On June 9, 2021, Hardy signed with the NBA G League Ignite, a developmental team affiliated with the NBA G League.
He averaged 17.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, shooting 35.1 percent from the field.
Dallas Mavericks (2022β2026)
Hardy was drafted 37th in the 2022 NBA draft by the
Sacramento Kings, and traded on draft night to the
Dallas Mavericks.
He joined the Mavericks for the 2022 NBA Summer League. On July 7, 2022, Hardy made his Summer League debut against the Chicago Bulls with 28 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal in a 100β99 loss.
On February 6, 2023, he scored a career-high 29 points in a 124β111 win over the Utah Jazz.
On March 11, Hardy started his first game in the NBA, recording 22 points, two rebounds and three assists in a 112β108 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
He made 48 total appearances (including five starts) for Dallas during his rookie campaign, recording averages of 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.
Hardy made 73 appearances (including seven starts) for the Mavericks during the 2023β24 NBA season, averaging 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists.
Prior to the start of the 2024β25 NBA season, Hardy signed a three-year, $18 million extension that would keep him under contract through 2028.
Hardy played in 57 games (including three starts) for Dallas during the 2024β25 NBA season, averaging 8.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.
Washington Wizards (2026βpresent)
On February 5, 2026, Hardy was traded to the Washington Wizards in a three-team trade involving the Charlotte Hornets.
On February 11, 2026, Hardy made his debut with the Wizards, where he tallied up 11 points, two rebounds, and one assist in 15 minutes of gameplay in a 113β138 loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Career statistics
NBA
Regular season
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Dallas
| 48 || 5 || 14.8 || .438 || .404 ||
.823 ||
1.9 || 1.4 || .4 || .1 || 8.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Dallas
|
73 ||
7 || 13.6 || .407 || .362 || .776 || 1.8 ||
1.5 || .3 || .1 || 7.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Dallas
| 57 || 3 || 15.9 || .435 || .386 || .698 || 1.6 || 1.4 ||
.5 || .1 || 8.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2|
| style="text-align:left;"| Dallas
| 34 || 4 || 12.6 || .402 || .371 || .775 || 1.4 || .9 || .3 || .1 || 6.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Washington
| 23 || 0 ||
20.4 ||
.443 ||
.420 || .686 || 1.7 || 1.3 || .3 ||
.2 ||
12.6
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 235 || 19 || 14.9 || .425 || .386 || .756 || 1.7 || 1.3 || .4 || .1 || 8.4
Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"|Dallas
| 19 || 0 || 6.8 || .426 || .407 || .733 || .8 || .9 || .2 || .0 || 4.2
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 19 || 0 || 6.8 || .426 || .407 || .733 || .8 || .9 || .2 || .0 || 4.2
Personal life
Hardy's older brother,
Amauri Hardy, played college basketball for UNLV and the University of Oregon.
His father, Ramsey, was on Tuskegee University's basketball team.
External links
-
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> USA Basketball bio
