Tim Hardaway Jr. becomes latest key Nuggets free agency addition
The Denver Nuggets have agreed to a one-year contract with veteran sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr., according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
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Hardaway, 33, is the latest key veteran to join the Nuggets this offseason as new front office executives Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace continue to make aggressive moves to surround three-time MVP Nikola Jokic with championship-level talent.
After trading Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for two-way wing Cam Johnson, the Nuggets have since added Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas, and now Hardaway Jr. to their roster.
All four of these new offseason additions bring valuable experience with them to Denver and expand on what many referred to as a broken rotation during the 2024-25 season.
Outside of Jokic and Jamal Murray, Denver struggled to find consistent offensive production. This was especially true when evaluating the Nuggets' second unit and bench, which ranked bottom five in the league this past year.
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Although Porter had been a key part of the Nuggets' championship run in 2023, trading him to the Nets opened up flexibility for the team to add much-needed depth to their roster. Hardaway now joins the mix in Denver as a reliable 3-point shooter who recently found a lot of success with the Detroit Pistons.
In one season with the Pistons, Hardaway averaged 11.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game while shooting 36.8 percent from 3-point range. Over the last three seasons, the veteran sharpshooter has scored 50 percent of his 3,002 total points from the perimeter.
Detroit replaced his role with Caris LeVert in free agency on Monday.
The Nuggets needed another key 3-point shooting threat after giving Porter up on Monday, which is why the addition of Hardaway is such a big deal for this franchise. While he may not be the same defender Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was, he will fill that catch-and-shoot role Denver was missing during the 2024-25 season.
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With 14 players under contract and right at the tax line for the 2025-26 season, the Nuggets are expected to remain aggressive in the marketplace.
There is the possibility that the Nuggets could seek to trade Zeke Nnaji and move his contract in order to open up flexibility and additional spending power. This would allow them to address a key need for a backup point guard behind Murray.
Even with limited names remaining in free agency, players like Russell Westbrook, Malcolm Brogdon, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Tre Mann still loom large as possible additions in Denver.
The Nuggets finished the 2024-25 season with a 50-32 record and made it to the Western Conference Semifinals for the third straight year.
Related: Why the Nuggets are massive 2025 NBA free agency winners
Related: Jonas Valanciunas trade grades for Nuggets, Kings
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