Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy provided the biggest scoring punch off of the bench while the rest of the bench combined for just seven points. The second-year combo guard finished the game with 13 points, three rebounds, one assist, and one made three. He shot 4-for-8 from the floor and knocked down all four of his free throw attempts as well. Hardy saw fewer minutes per game this season than his rookie year, but he's played in more games and has put together some important performances through the playoffs so far. He's climbed higher in the postseason depth chart than Tim Hardaway Jr. which wasn't something that many people predicted in the preseason.

Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (ankle) and center Dwight Powell (illness) are now being categorized as probable for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the San Antonio Spurs. Hardy has an ankle sprain stemming from last week's practice while Powell is fighting through an illness, but the two role players sound likely to play in the opener. Hardy's DFS prospects are dependent on Luka Doncic's (calf) status Wednesday, as he remains questionable after practicing earlier this week and participating in Wednesday's shootaround. Late swap figures to play a key factor here. Powell is set to come off the bench, likely ceding his starting duty to first-round rookie Dereck Lively II at the campaign's beginning.

Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (ankle), who fully practiced during Monday's session, is deemed questionable for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the San Antonio Spurs. Hardy has been nursing a sprained ankle since last Tuesday, which has left his availability for the opener up in the air. The 21-year-old will likely be head coach Jason Kidd's first point man off the bench when healthy, but his potential absence Wednesday could open up more opportunities for Seth Curry and Dante Exum. With Luka Doncic (calf) managing a calf strain, Kyrie Irving could be in for a very busy 2023-24 season debut. Hardy can be rostered in deep fantasy leagues until Doncic is taken off the injury report, but he'll otherwise be hard-pressed to find minutes in the star-studded Mavericks backcourt.

Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (ankle) was a full participant in Monday's practice. The 21-year-old is trying to overcome an ankle injury in time for Wednesday's season opener against the Spurs, and it's a great sign that he was able to log a full practice. Dallas will have another practice session on Tuesday, and we should then get full clarity on Hardy's availability for Wednesday night. If he ends up not being ready for game action, Dante Exum and Seth Curry could see a larger role off the bench, particularly if Luka Doncic (calf) can't play either.

Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (ankle) remains sidelined, although head coach Jason Kidd hopes he will return to practice next week. The 21-year-old averaged 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists as a rookie. He also shot an impressive 40.4% from deep. However, now that Hardy is battling an ankle issue, he may miss time, including Wednesday's opener against the Spurs. With Luka Doncic (calf) also potentially sitting out, Kyrie Irving may be tasked with most of the ball-handling duties. At the same time, Dante Exum could see enough minutes to make him a viable option for those in deep fantasy setups.

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it?Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, the opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA. 

Introduction

I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2023 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2023-24 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence.As I will frequently emphasize and reiterate: in 2023, there is very little difference between the vast majority of second-round draft picks and undrafted free agents--it always all comes down to the skillsets they possess, their capacity for growth, and the situations they've landed in.Seasons will be made and broken with early identification of the diamond-in-the-rough rookies. I used to list out the many examples from the past season in this introduction portion, but we are now in a beautiful era where there are just too many to count. There is also very little separating the featured players below and those dubbed "Honorable Mentions"--so put in the work and keep an eye out throughout the regular season for who is receiving and seizing their opportunities. 

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Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (ankle) was not seen at practice on Tuesday. Hardy is getting treatment on a sprained sprain in the meantime, while Luka Doncic (calf) tends to his strained calf. Dallas' preseason finale arrives on Friday versus the Detroit Pistons, signifying Hardy's next chance to take the court. The 21-year-old offensive-minded combo guard is worth watching as a late-round flier until Doncic and Kyrie Irving (groin) are taken off the injury report. Hardy is slated to play a significant role off the Mavericks bench as it is, and he presents plenty of contingency upside in the event that Doncic and/or Irving are unable to suit up.

Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy didn't have his best night shooting the ball, but made the most of it during Monday's game. The 21-year-old went 5-for-17 from the floor, but made 12-of-13 free throw attempts. Hardy finished with 24 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 34 minutes of action. Mavericks summer league coach Jared Dudley said that Hardy would be the focal point during the summer league. The Mavericks clearly believe in the young guard and he does have the potential to be a consistent option. This team could use a reliable shooter off the bench, so hopefully Hardy can be that guy for this team. If that happens, Hardy should be able to have at least deep league value next season.

Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy led all scorers with 24 points in Saturday's Summer League clash versus the Thunder, but he was unable to save the team from a 91-80 loss. The 21-year-old had a whopping 12 attempts from deep, making four of them, and shot 8-for-18 overall. He grabbed six rebounds, dished out one assist, and collected two steals in 31 minutes of action. Hardy broke into the Dallas rotation during the latter half of last season and put in quite a few impressive performances. He will hope to play an even bigger part in 2023-24, and Dallas' freshly reported plans of trading Tim Hardaway Jr. could help Hardy's situation in Texas.

Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy led all scorers with 25 points in Sunday's season finale against San Antonio, shooting 11-for-23 from the field in a 138-117 loss. He completed his line with five rebounds and five assists. The 20-year-old rode the bench for most of his rookie season but emerged as a reliable rotational player over the final few months of action, giving the Dallas fans at least something positive during a shockingly poor spell at the end of the season. Sunday marked Hardy's fifth start, and he ended up averaging 21.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a member of the starting unit. He will hope to play a significant part right from the off next season, and if that's the case, Hardy would become a valuable fantasy piece in most leagues.