The Miami Heat continue to make bold moves this offseason.
Barely over a week since their major trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Heat have struck another deal by signing Tim Hardaway Jr. to a one-year contract worth $6.5 million, according to a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania on Tuesday.
Hardaway was previously identified by NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer as a top priority for the Heat during the offseason player acquisitions.
At 34 years old, the veteran guard comes to Miami after playing last season with the Denver Nuggets. Throughout his career, Hardaway has also been part of the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, and Detroit Pistons.
Hardaway initially made his mark in college basketball, excelling over three years at the University of Michigan. He consistently scored over 13 points per game, leading to his selection by the Knicks in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Hardaway’s first stint in New York was a mixed bag, as he displayed brilliance from beyond the arc but struggled to be consistent. He averaged nearly 11 points per game over his first two seasons with the Knicks.
He then joined the Hawks for two years before returning to the Knicks for a second stint from 2017-19, where he saw increased minutes despite poor efficiency.
In the Knicks’ woeful 17-65 season in 2018-19, Hardaway averaged a career-high 19.1 points per game despite shooting just 38.8 percent from the field.
Hardaway then spent the next five years with the Mavericks and Luka Doncic from 2019-24, and he averaged between 14 and 17 points per game each season while becoming a solid 3-point shooter.
Following one season with the Pistons, Hardaway averaged 13.5 points per game with the Nuggets last season, though he started just six games.
Hardaway brings much-needed shooting to a forward-heavy team with Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Bobby Portis and Andrew Wiggins.
After losing to the Hornets in the play-in round, the Heat continue to make moves this offseason in hopes of competing with the Eastern Conference’s best.