Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets are building their roster for the 2025–26 NBA season and have agreed to terms with a forward who was a major contributor to Cade Cunningham during the previous campaign with the Detroit Pistons.
“Free agent sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with the Denver Nuggets, sources tell ESPN,” reported NBA insider Shams Charania via his official X account Tuesday afternoon, noting that Denver officials are finalizing the details of the deal at this moment.
Hardaway played a significant role with the Pistons during the 2024–25 season, after joining the franchise last summer in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks. He appeared in 77 of the 82 regular season games, averaging 11 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. In Detroit, Tim regained a prominent role within a team after several years in Dallas, where his place as a starter had not always been guaranteed.
With Cade Cunningham leading the team on the court, the Pistons delivered a surprisingly strong performance, finishing with a 44–38 record and making the playoffs for the first time in six years. In the postseason, however, their hopes were short-lived, as they were eliminated in six games by the New York Knicks in the first round.
Tim Hardaway Jr. playing for the Detroit Pistons during the 2024-25 NBA season.
Following the end of the season, Hardaway became a free agent, positioning himself as an appealing option for several teams around the league. The Nuggets moved quickly to secure him, adding a piece that could strengthen the rotation for head coach David Adelman.
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Saric traded to Sacramento by Denver: Nuggets’ new lineup with Valanciunas, Jokic
Despite having one of the best players in the world in Nikola Jokic, Denver lacked the tools to truly compete last season—something many attributed to the team’s limited roster depth. The Colorado franchise’s front office appears to have taken note of that, and in recent days has worked to bring in new players.
Tim Hardaway Jr. joins Cameron Johnson, Bruce Brown Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas as the new faces on the Nuggets for the upcoming season. With Cam Johnson, the Nuggets secure a high-level forward to replace Michael Porter Jr., who was traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
Valanciunas and Brown are expected to be valuable rotational pieces over the course of the season. As for Hardaway, it will be interesting to see what role he carves out on the team, and whether he can sustain the impact he had with Detroit last year.
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