“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.

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.

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.

On the Pistons’ final possession, Cade Cunningham missed a mid-range jumper, but Detroit grabbed the offensive rebound and swung the ball to Hardaway in the corner for a potential game-winning three-pointer. As Hardaway rose for the shot, Hart made contact, but no foul was called. After the final buzzer, a furious reaction followed from the Pistons players toward the officiating crew.

Following a postgame review, crew chief David Guthrie admitted the officials missed the call. “During live play, it was judged that Josh Hart made a legal defensive play,” Guthrie said, via Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. “After postgame review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr., and a foul should have been called.”

The incident fueled ongoing frustration with officiating standards throughout these playoffs, as critical late-game decisions continue to face heavy scrutiny. With the win, the Knicks now lead the series 3–1.

Josh Hart reacts to no-call

After the game, Hart openly acknowledged the contact during Hardaway’s shot attempt but remained noncommittal about whether a foul should have been called.

“Did I make contact with him? Yeah, I made contact with him. Was it legal? I don’t know! We’ll see in the Last Two Minute Report,” Hart said, according to reporter Fred Katz on X, formerly known as Twitter.

JB Bickerstaff frustrated over final possession

As the final buzzer sounded, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff stormed onto the court to voice his frustration with the officials. In his postgame press conference, Bickerstaff reflected on the final moments involving Cunningham’s missed shot and Hardaway’s contested three-pointer.

“Cade got his shot. He got to his spot — I trust Cade to take that shot 100 times in a row,” Bickerstaff said, via reporter Omari Sankofa II on X. “There was contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot. I don’t know any way around it. There was contact on his jump shot. He left his feet.”

The game has changed and has shifted toward the perimeter. Those heavy-footed, old-school big men who can only play above and below the rim have become an offensive liability, and teams are looking for bigs who can stretch the floor now.

That’s why sharpshooters have become such a valuable trade chip in today’s game. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top three-point shooters that could be available ahead of the trade deadline.

NBA Rumors: 3 Best Shooters Likely To Be Available

3. Tim Hardaway Jr

Tim Hardaway Jr.’s tenure with the Dallas Mavericks is reportedly coming to an end. Jason Kidd has made him available in trade talks, which isn’t unsurprising considering their desperate need for depth.

While he’s been injury-prone over the past couple of years, and it seems like he’s lost his first step, Tim Hardaway Jr. is still a lights-out shooter. He’s on a reasonable contractand is most definitely worth the risk.

2. Buddy Hield

Against all odds, the Indiana Pacers have held on to Buddy Hield, but that doesn’t mean he’s a part of their plans going forward. They’re looking to get younger and more athletic, so he doesn’t fit their timeline.

Hield has become one of the most efficient volume shooters in the past couple of decades. He can knock down shots from all over the court and has anelite ability to create separation over his defender.

1. Gary Trent Jr

The Toronto Raptors are most likely going to blow up the roster and hit the drawing board again. That means Gary Trent Jr. could be on the trade block, even though he’s not oldor making a lot of money.

Trent Jr. has one of the quickest triggers in the league, and he can also hold his own as a solid perimeter defender. While he’s often overlooked, multiple championship contenders could benefit from his 3-and-D skill set.