So, how about Tim Hardaway Jr.? The Denver Nuggets signed the veteran to a one-year, minimum contract during free agency, and here we are seven games into the 2025-26 season, and the THJ addition is already paying off.
He's averaging 11.3 points per game on 49/45/86 shooting splits. Hardaway has scored in double-digits in all but two games. In his most recent outing on Wednesday during the Nuggets' 122-112 win over the Heat, he finished with 18 points (7-of-12 shooting from the field, 4-of-9 shooting from three) and three rebounds in 32 minutes off the bench.
Everyone knows by now that playing with Nikola Jokić boosts your shooting percentage, but the thing about Hardaway is that he can create opportunities for himself. It's what makes his addition to Denver's second unit so unique. He's not afraid to let it fly, either. A few missed shots don't deter Hardaway from his next, which is the right mentality for a shooter to have.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is off to a solid start for the Nuggets
Hardaway said that he chose Denver in free agency because of the team's style of play, and that the players "shared the wealth." As he mentioned after Wednesday's win, it's nice to play for the Nuggets rather than gameplan against them. His teammates, including Jokić, have talked about how much his presence has meant, on and off the floor.
Between his quick-release shot, his basketball IQ, and his experience, the THJ signing is quickly turning into a steal for Denver. Believe it or not, but he has never finished a season shooting above 40% from the three-point line. There are still 77 regular-season games left for the Nuggets to play, but he could finish above that mark. Hardaway is comfortable in Denver's free-flowing offense.
Having his scoring abilities as part of a bench that struggled in that area the past couple of seasons is one of the ways the Nuggets transformed themselves over the offseason. Opposing defenses can't leave THJ open. As Jokić said, some of the shots that Hardaway takes are "wild," but what's even wilder is that he can knock them down. Look at some of his makes from this season alone.
The real test for Hardaway will come when the playoffs roll around, as he's a career 32.8% shooter from three in the postseason, but it's still way too early to start thinking about April. What Hardaway has done through the first couple of weeks of the season is impressive enough, though. Let's see if he can keep it up.