The Nuggets continued their incredible offseason on Tuesday afternoon, adding sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency. They signed the former Piston to a one-year deal, adding the floor spacer they’ve so desperately needed to the bench.
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
Within the past 24 hours, the Nuggets have now added Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas, and Tim Hardaway Jr. while only sacrificing Michael Porter Jr., Dario Saric, and a 2032 first-round pick. That’s some amazing work by the new front office led by Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace.
They’ve largely fixed all of Denver’s issues in just two days of free agency, with shooting and spacing being the biggest weaknesses. But the addition of THJ should solve that concern, as he has been a high-volume shooter for his entire career, shooting over 36% from deep.
Now, he’ll transition into an offense where he’ll be able to come in off the bench and walk into one open shot after another. Hardaway Jr. is a true threat from well beyond the arc and doesn’t need a lot of space to get his shot off. He’ll thrive playing off of Nikola Jokic and should be able to carry some offensive duties when Jokic sits.
Nuggets’ biggest weakness now a strength
The Nuggets have been done in by their weak bench and lack of depth in the past two seasons, but now that’s arguably a strength. They’ll boast a bench unit featuring Brown, Valanciunas, THJ, plus whatever they get from Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther, DaRon Holmes, and Jalen Pickett.
They also may not even be done, and can still add another free agent to bolster the rotation even further. It’s crazy to think that suddenly there may actually be some serious competition for minutes on a unit that was grasping at straws to fill minutes just a few weeks ago.
It goes to show how close this team has been and how simple it should be to build a strong roster around Jokic. The new front office clearly understood the assignment, and they’ve wasted no time in building a juggernaut that should be able to go toe-to-toe with the Thunder in the Western Conference.
Nuggets need a point guard to round out rotation
The only thing the team is missing now would be a backup point guard. The only depth at the position behind Murray is Pickett, and it’s unclear if he will factor into the rotation. Denver can definitely get some primary offense from Jokic, Brown, and Strawther that may be enough to fill the burden.
But if they can land one more true creator and point guard, this team will be extremely deep and well-balanced. Look out, NBA; the Nuggets are coming.