New Los Angeles Lakers guard Jaden Hardy is one of a couple of men on this team who have previously played alongside Luka Doncic when Doncic was with the Dallas Mavericks.
Hardy spent his first three and a half seasons with Dallas after he was a second-round draft pick in 2022. He was on that Mavericks team that unexpectedly went to the NBA Finals in 2024, and he was sent to the Washington Wizards midway through last season in the deal that also gave the Wizards Anthony Davis.
The Lakers acquired Hardy, along with two future second-round draft picks, for center Deandre Ayton in July. Now that Hardy is alongside Doncic again, he feels the Slovenian native has become a stronger leader, via Silver Screen and Roll.
“I mean, obviously, Luka’s always been a great leader ever since I’ve been with him. I feel like he’s just taking it to another step with that,” Hardy told reporters. “Just trying to lead this group, have everybody on the same page and having a tightened connection with everybody. So I feel like that’s good and I feel like Luka, he’s always just himself. When he’s out there, he’s going to tell you things and he’s going to try to make you a better player.”
With LeBron James gone, Doncic is now the unquestioned leader of the Lakers. They remodeled their roster this summer and brought in players who are not only versatile but also complement Doncic and Austin Reaves while fitting the timelines of both stars.
Hardy, to a certain extent, fits that description. While he’s considered a weak defender and a poor finisher near the rim, he’s a potent 3-point shooter. For his career, he has made 38.6% of his 3-point attempts, and last season, he averaged 9.2 points and 4.6 3-point attempts in 15.8 minutes a game while hitting 39.7% from beyond the arc.
Doncic flexed his newfound leadership muscles this summer by holding a minicamp in August that took place in Slovenia. It included fun team-bonding activities such as rowing, cycling and golf, as well as sightseeing tours. He has made it clear on multiple occasions that he wants to win at least one championship as a member of the Purple and Gold.
This article originally appeared on Lakers Wire: Jaden Hardy: Luka Doncic has taken his leadership to another level
