Jaden Hardy may have just ended his Mavericks tenure with disastrous performance

The Dallas Mavericks wrapped up regular season action on Sunday afternoon with a 132-97 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, as Dallas is now confirmed to be the 10th seed in the Western Conference with a record of 39-43 and will be taking on the Sacramento Kings in the Play-In Tournament on the road this Wednesday.

Heading into Sunday, Dallas could've snatched the ninth seed had they won and the Phoenix Suns beat the Sacramento Kings, but Dallas elected to rest multiple starters with that scenario seeming unlikely. The Mavericks were dealt a crushing blow in the contest with recently signed guard Brandon Williams suffering a left oblique strain after just seven minutes of action, and this could throw a wrench in Dallas' playoff hopes if Williams is unable to return for the play-in, as the pace, shot creation, and playmaking he's brought to Dallas' roster has been vital ever since Kyrie Irving tore his ACL.

If Williams is unable to return, then it's almost certain that third-year guard Jaden Hardy will get some decent run on Wednesday, but Williams is only listed as day-to-day right now, so there's still a decent chance he makes an effort to return on Wednesday, considering the stakes of the contest. If Williams is back in the lineup, then Sunday's game against the Grizzlies should go down as Hardy's last game as a Maverick if head coach Jason Kidd wants to give Dallas the best opportunity to win on Wednesday and make the playoffs.

Hardy's last game with Mavs is confirmation he should be gone soon

While Hardy has added some strength since coming into the league, he hasn't figured out a way to better utilize his added strength, and he hasn't improved significantly in any areas since being drafted. After handing Hardy a three-year, $12 million extension earlier this season, he is on a slightly more tradable contract heading into this offseason period, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Nico Harrison and the Mavericks try to ship Hardy out this summer, given his lack of improvement.

To give Hardy some credit, he has had his fair share of late-season scoring outbursts recently, and March was by far his best month of the season, but he finished his last six games of the season on a relatively dull note. After a 22-point performance versus the Orlando Magic on March 27, Hardy has been efficient offensively for the most part and has struggled with turnovers.

Hardy's last game of the regular season versus the Grizzlies was a microcosm of this recent stretch as well as this season for him, as he was a -44 in 34 minutes of action. Obviously, that number is inflated a bit due to how badly Dallas got blown out, but it highlights the fact that Hardy has often been a net-negative this season, barring when he has a good shooting game from the field.

Hardy has decent physical tools and could be a solid defender, but he gambles often and struggles to play defense without fouling against other quick guards and wings. His shot selection is questionable at times, especially when he can't find his rhythm, and his playmaking hasn't improved whatsoever through three seasons, as he'll end this season with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1:1.

All this being said, Hardy simply doesn't play winning basketball at this stage in his career, barring the occasional one out of every five games that he has a hot shooting night from outside. With Dante Exum back in the lineup, Kidd has no reason to play Hardy in Wednesday's play-in contest, assuming that Williams is ready to go.

Hardy has had all the opportunity in the world to take advantage of a depleted Dallas guard pool this season despite a few injury setbacks himself, but he hasn't taken advantage of this opportunity in any capacity and has clearly been eclipsed in the rotation by Williams. While Hardy will only turn 23 years old this coming July and could be a late bloomer, Dallas isn't in the business of long-term development after they pushed in all their chips by trading Luka Doncic, and Hardy will be a prime candidate to be moved this summer.