Tim Hardaway Jr. was a vital piece of the Denver Nuggets' rotation during the 2025-26 season, and he was even a finalist for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award for his stellar play off the bench. But he was only in town on a one-year, league minimum contract, and he'll be a free agent. However, according to his dad, he thinks Tim Jr. should be in Denver next year. Was that a hint he dropped about Tim's wishes to return?
The elder Hardaway, Tim Sr., was a guest on the "Run It Back" show, and he was talking about the outlook for the Nuggets next season when he dropped the possible hint. He thinks the Nuggets should bring back what they can, and it should include his son.
“I still think they need Tim Hardaway Jr. there to come off the bench, and to play a significant role for their team," Tim Sr. said.
The Nuggets are going to need bargain-bin help again, and it sounds like Tim Jr. is still in the mix to return. Is this one of those "father knows best" things?
The Nuggets should welcome Hardaway Jr. back
Hardaway Jr. had a fantastic season for the Nuggets. In 80 games, 74 off the bench, he averaged 13.5 points on 2.8 made threes per game, good for 224 total and a 10th overall finish in the NBA. Hardaway did it rather efficiently, too, connecting on 40.7% of his threes, the highest mark of his 13-year career.
The knock on Tim Jr. was his lack of postseason performances, but he actually did okay, all things considered. He only averaged 10.8 points, and his three-point shooting dropped to 34.8% against the Timberwolves, but all the Nuggets played poorly in the series. He didn't drop off as much as some others did.
Tim Sr. thinks the Nuggets need to give it another go with this group
Tim Sr. thought pretty highly of this year's Nuggets squad, and he pointed to the injuries as the real reason the Nuggets just couldn't gel or perform at their peak.
“If they were 100% healthy, I think they could have beat the Timberwolves," Hardaway Sr. said. It's a sentiment many Nuggets fans feel, but getting to that healthy marker seems to be a stumbling block for some on the Nuggets, like Aaron Gordon.
But he isn't wrong about just how much the injuries mounted. Nikola Jokic didn't look the same after his knee injury as he did before. Jokic wasn't his normal self, and it certainly caught up to him and the Nuggets against the Timberwolves.
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