The Dallas Mavericks are just exactly three weeks from drafting Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, as all reporting coming out of Dallas over the last few weeks indicates that the Mavs will take Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick rather than entertaining offers from other teams.
Drafting Flagg is the first step of a perfect draft night for the Mavs, as he is bound to become a star right away and projects to be a franchise cornerstone, but that isn't the only move Dallas should make during the draft. It may be time for the Mavs to trade Jaden Hardy elsewhere, and one move that would make sense for both Dallas and Hardy is to send him to a rebuilding team for a second-round pick.
Dumping Hardy for a second-round pick would allow the Mavs to get closer to getting under the second apron while giving Hardy a golden opportunity to play real minutes, as his Mavericks tenure was up and down when it comes to the trust that Jason Kidd had in him to be a rotation player.
Mavericks should explore Jaden Hardy trades on draft night
During times like the 2024 Western Conference Finals, it seemed like Kidd had all the trust in the world in Hardy. He allowed him to run the offense when needed, and he provided a huge spark off the bench in that series. Hardy ended up playing in all five games against the Minnesota Timberwolves and averaged 10.4 minutes per game, causing Mavs fans to believe he had finally earned Kidd's trust and would be a staple in the rotation moving forward, as he proved himself on the biggest stage.
This didn't hold true in the 2024-25 season, as Hardy struggled with inconsistent play and ankle injuries. He still had some great stretches and is at his best when he is playing off the ball as a catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter, but it may be time to say farewell.
Hardy is entering year one of his three-year, $18 million extension he signed with the Mavs last offseason, and dumping him for a second-round pick would give him a fresh start while saving Dallas money and giving them a chance at drafting a player who can take his spot. It's known that the Mavs need guard depth badly, especially with Kyrie Irving to likely miss over half the season due to an ACL tear, and they could find a guard in the second round who they could sign to a two-way deal to provide great depth off the bench when needed.
Someone who pops off the page immediately is Tyrese Proctor out of Duke, as he and Flagg were teammates in college and also share the same agent. Proctor would make a ton of sense for the Mavericks, as he possesses the positional size, ball handling, playmaking, and defense that they covet, and he looks like he has the skills to play some real minutes as a rookie.
Trading Hardy elsewhere in exchange for a second-round pick and being able to select a player like Proctor would truly benefit both sides, as Hardy would likely get to join a team that has a big role waiting for him, while the Mavs gain a player who is on more of a team-friendly contract. Dallas would also simultaneously get younger at the perfect time, as the Flagg era begins as soon as they draft him.
Trading Hardy during the draft seems like a win-win move for both sides, and now we must wait to see what moves Nico Harrison has up his sleeve over the next few weeks.
