Jaden Hardy

About

Jaden Amere Hardy (born July 5, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2021 class.
Instead of playing college basketball, Hardy joined the NBA G League Ignite, a developmental team in the NBA G League, in 2021. He was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NBA draft and played for the Dallas Mavericks for four seasons, with whom he reached the 2024 NBA Finals. He was traded to the Washington Wizards during the 2025–26 season, and then to the Lakers during the 2026 off-season.

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…