Continuing their immaculate offseason, the Denver Nuggets are signing shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr., per ESPN senior insider Shams Charania. He will reportedly join the team on a one-year contract. A multi-time Sixth Man of the Year candidate, Hardaway has rained in over 1,800 3-pointers in his 12-year career.
While playing for the Detroit Pistons last season, Hardaway averaged 11.0 points per game, shooting 36.8 percent from 3.
Nuggets Sign Tim Hardaway Jr. To 1-Year Contract
Hardaway’s signing comes on the heels of another important transaction for Denver. Earlier on Tuesday, the Nuggets traded forward-center Dario Saric to the Sacramento Kings for center Jonas Valanciunas. Thus, Hardaway is now set to join Valanciunas in Denver’s restructured second unit. These veterans will also be joined by guard-forward Bruce Brown Jr., who won a championship with them in 2023.
Free agent sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with the Denver Nuggets, sources tell ESPN. Hardaway had a strong season for the Pistons’ resurgent 2024-25 campaign and now Denver officials finalize a deal with Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports. pic.twitter.com/XUaslGumBf
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025
Yesterday, the Nuggets also decided to shake-up their starting lineup.
In a fun twist, the Brooklyn Nets traded 3-and-D forward Cam Johnson to the Mile High, though they took Michael Porter Jr. with them. Like the Brown addition, Johnson’s move is expected to improve the team’s perimeter defense. With that in mind, the Nuggets ranked 25th in opponent’s points per game (116.9) and 22nd in defensive rating (116.0) in 2024-25.
Tim Hardaway Jr.’s Purpose
Hardaway’s no defensive savant.
What he does is give the team a professional marksman. Indeed, as Denver was dead last in 3-point attempts (31.9 per game) last season, he’s the type of player they could use. That’s especially true with Julian Strawther shooting 34.9 percent in the 2024-25 regular season and Christian Braun shooting 29.6 percent from 3 in the subsequent postseason.
© Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
