The 2024-25 season has been a tough one for the Dallas Mavericks. After making the NBA Finals last year, they are currently the No. 10 seed in the West and are in legitimate danger of missing the postseason entirely. Last month, they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most mind-boggling trades in league history. In return, they received Anthony Davis, who got injured in his first game with the team. Additionally, star guard Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL on Monday night and will miss the remainder of the season. Unfortunately for Dallas, the bad news continues to come. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Jaden Hardy suffered a sprained ankle injury and will miss “a period of time.”
Dallas Mavericks will be without Jaden Hardy for a period of time after he sustained an ankle sprain last night, league sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/1jHvgwvEyQ
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 4, 2025
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Now in his third season in Dallas, the 22-year-old is having a decent campaign. Through 46 games, Hardy averaged 8 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. As it stands, it is unclear exactly how much time he will miss. However, with Irving now officially out for the rest of the season, Hardy’s injury stings even more than it otherwise would.
Dallas Mavericks Guard Jaden Hardy to Miss ‘a Period of Time’ Due to Injury
The Dallas Mavericks Had Interest in Another Blockbuster Trade
This season has been a strange one for the Mavericks. However, it could have been even more wild. Recently, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that the Mavericks pursued another blockbuster deal before trading Doncic to Los Angeles. According to Scotto, the Mavericks had interest in Jimmy Butler, who the Miami Heat ultimately traded to the Golden State Warriors.
“Before the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic in a blockbuster deal to acquire Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round draft pick, the team also expressed interest in Jimmy Butler and Kyle Kuzma, league sources told HoopsHype. PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford briefly came up in trade talks for Butler, but exploratory discussions didn’t go far, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote.
This is an interesting hypothetical for fans to think about. As Scotto mentions, the Mavericks pursued this trade before dealing Doncic away. It is unclear if acquiring Butler would have made a difference in Dallas’ plans to move on from Doncic. Regardless, the thought of Butler, Irving, Davis, and Klay Thompson teaming up is intriguing. Unfortunately for Dallas, nothing came to fruition.
The Last Word
With less than two months remaining on the season, every game matters for the Mavericks. As they look to make a late-season push, they will need to string together as many wins as possible. However, given the injuries they are dealing with, title contention this year seems close to impossible. Regardless, they remain a team to keep an eye on the rest of the way. Even if they do not replicate their postseason success from last year, the Mavericks could potentially make a playoff run, though that seems incredibly unlikely.
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