Heat sign Tim Hardaway Jr. to one-year $6.5M deal

The Miami Heat have signed veteran guard Tim Hardaway Jr. to a one-year, $6.5 million contract, a move that brings the son of a franchise legend to South Beach as the team builds around newly acquired superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. The signing, confirmed on July 1, addresses a critical need for perimeter shooting following the offseason departures of guards Tyler Herro and Norman Powell.

Hardaway Jr., 34, joins the Heat after a standout season with the Denver Nuggets, where he averaged 13.5 points per game and shot a career-best 40.7 percent from three-point range. He finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting and made 224 three-pointers, the second-most in a single season in Nuggets history. His ability to space the floor is seen as a key asset for an offense that will feature Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

The Nuggets were limited in their ability to retain Hardaway due to salary cap constraints, as they could only offer $4.3 million without using a more costly exception. His departure comes as Denver manages a roster with over $203 million in guaranteed salary.

While the signing marks a homecoming of sorts, it will not include a symbolic jersey number. In a recent radio...