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Five-star combo guard Jaden Hardy has officially signed with the NBA G League Ignite after announcing his intentions to pass on playing college basketball and jump straight to the professional ranks in May.
The signing was announced by NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
“I would like to thank God for blessing me,” Hardy said, per release. “I would like to thank my family and friends for their love and support. I am so excited and fired up that I am turning pro and playing for the NBA G League Ignite.”
Hardy, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound combo guard out of Coronado High School in Nevada, averaged 30.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game as a junior, earning Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year. He was unable to participate in a normal high school basketball season as a senior due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to 247Sports, Hardy is the No. 1 combo guard and No. 3 overall recruit in the class of 2022 behind Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero, respectively. Both Banchero and Holmgren had opportunities to play professionally straight out of high school, but elected to stick to the traditional college route, with Holmgren signing to play for Mark Few at Gonzaga and Banchero signing with Duke.
Hardy joins five-star 2021 forward Michael Foster and five-star 2022 guard Scoota Henderson as the third player to opt for the NBA G League Ignite route so far this offseason.
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