Jason Kidd gravely concerned about Mavericks after $18,000,000 guard's ankle injury amid play-in push

Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd expressed his concern for Jaden Hardy. The 22-year-old was having a good game against the Clippers, but his night ended early following an unfortunate injury.

Late in the game, Hardy rolled his ankle and had to be helped to the locker room. Videos of the 22-year-old show that he avoided putting any weight on his injured leg, which made the injury look worse.

Kidd expressed concern for Hardy:

“It’s tough because he’s trending in the right direction. He was one of the guys that was scoring the ball for us tonight and unfortunately twisted his ankle there late. Hopefully, it’s not too bad.”

Hardy finished his night with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists. He has been key for the Mavericks this season but will likely join their long list of injuries for the final stretch. The 22-year-old is on a three-year contract that will see him earn $18 million, as per Spotrac.

Following their loss to the Clippers, the Mavs are ninth in the Western Conference. They are trailed by the Sacramento Kings by half a game. This is a crucial stretch for Dallas as it tries to lock its place in the play-in tournament.

The Mavericks don’t have enough quality to make noise in the playoffs, but Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson should be enough to get them there. However, things aren't looking good, as Hardy wasn’t the only one who left the floor early on Friday.

Klay Thompson exited after just 13 minutes due to an illness. Anthony Davis didn’t even participate due to adductor injury, while Kyrie Irving won’t return until next season, as he's dealing with a torn ACL. The Mavericks play the LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies to close the season.

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“Spencer’s very important”: Jason Kidd on Spencer Dinwiddie’s importance amid injury struggles

Following Jaden Hardy’s injury against the Clippers, Spencer Dinwiddie remains the only starting point guard for the Mavericks. After the game, Jason Kidd expressed just how important Dinwiddie is at the moment.

“Spencer is very important to this situation right now. But, he does everything, he preps well,” said Jason Kidd

Dinwiddie has been one of the most consistent players in the league in the last few seasons. He played 79 games during the 2022-23 season, 76 in 2023-24 and is up to 75 games this season. The Mavericks need to protect him, as losing Dinwiddie could spell the end of their season.