The Denver Nuggets' biggest loss of the 2026 offseason is Peyton Watson, and barring an unexpected trade (which you still can't count out), it will stay that way. Right behind him was Tim Hardaway Jr., who signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Heat. Though P-Wat's absence will hurt the most in the long run, the team could miss THJ the most in 2026-27.
In Hardaway's lone season in Denver, he averaged 13.5 points per game on 40.7% shooting from three, which was a career high for him. He didn't average a career-high in three-point attempts, which is 7.7 per game going back to the 71 games he played for Dallas in 2022-23, but he did average 6.9 attempts per contest with the Nuggets.
His quick release and adaptability off the bench or when sliding into the starting lineup proved valuable in Denver as the team navigated injuries and relied on THJ far more than his veteran minimum contract suggested. Entering next season, the Nuggets will surely miss Hardaway's shooting, especially looking at their current bench.
Yes, Watson will be missed, but as Bryce Simon pointed out on Monday's episode of the Game Theory Podcast, Denver doesn't have a true floor-spacer in the second unit.
"Who is that floor spacer off the bench for them? They almost have to play Julian Strawther because whenever you look at their bench, that is the one guy who can get up volume floor-spacing for you."
Nuggets don't have a three-point threat on their bench
Denver's bench is lacking, and it still is even after the team signed DeMar DeRozan, who gives them a go-to scorer but won't space the floor. He shot 32% from deep on 1.9 attempts per game last season in Sacramento. There's Spencer Jones, who shot 39.6% from three in 2025-26, but that was on 2.3 attempts.
As Simons said, THJ's departure should mean more playing time for Strawther, who shot 38.7% from three on 2.6 attempts per game last season. He averaged 4.1 three-point attempts in 2024-25, shooting 34.9%.
Of course, if the Nuggets had re-signed Watson (or if he accepted the qualifying offer), his three-point shooting off the bench would've been one of the bonuses, as he shot 41.1% from deep on 3.6 attempts this past season. Adding that to his arsenal was a big piece of his breakout season, though whether he will continue to trend upward in that department is to be determined.
Nuggets will miss Tim Hardaway Jr.
Hardaway wouldn't have to prove anything if he remained in Denver, as his high-volume three-point shooting is his specialty. He signed with the Nuggets after a down-ish year with the Pistons, where he shot 36.8% from deep on 5.9 attempts, and, unsurprisingly, his efficiency rose in Denver as his teammates generated open looks.
He'll miss that in Miami, but not as much as the Nuggets will miss him. His shooting forced opposing defenses to pay attention to him, attention that no other player off the bench for Denver will command on the perimeter. They no longer have a bench player who can do it.
Three-point volume was an issue for the Nuggets before Hardaway arrived, as they finished last in the league in that category in 2024-25 and 2023-24, though with him, they climbed up to 20th. That'll probably sink back down to where they were before him, as they haven't filled that void this offseason. Keeping Watson would've certainly helped, but he's not the volume shooter THJ is.
The void that Watson leaves will very much exist, though Christian Braun could make it less glaring if he has a bounce-back season. No one can match Hardaway's production, and for a team running it back and aiming for another championship, it could be a hurdle they can't clear.
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