The Miami Heat are doing exactly what you’d expect after landing Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade. They’re surrounding him with shooters.
On Tuesday, the same day free agency officially opened, Miami agreed to sign guard Tim Hardaway Jr., according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. Hardaway spent last season with the Denver Nuggets and gives the Heat exactly the kind of floor spacer they need next to Antetokounmpo.
“Free agent sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. will be signing with the Miami Heat to provide the organization with the spacing needed for Giannis Antetokounmpo,” Haynes wrote on X.
The signing comes right after Miami also brought back Simone Fontecchio, another shooter who can stretch the floor. The message here is pretty clear: the Heat know that Giannis needs room to operate in the paint, and they’re collecting guys who can hit from deep when defenses collapse on him.
Why Hardaway makes sense
Hardaway is a career 36% shooter from three-point range, and he’s not afraid to let it fly. That fits perfectly with Miami’s offensive philosophy and the kind of spacing Giannis thrives on. In Denver last season, Hardaway showed he can still get hot from outside and create his own shot when needed.
The move also gives Miami another veteran presence in the backcourt. The Heat already have Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, but adding a shooter of Hardaway’s caliber should help take some pressure off Antetokounmpo when defenses load up against him.
It’s worth noting that Hardaway’s father, Tim Hardaway Sr., played for the Heat from 1996 to 2001 and was a key part of some of the best Miami teams of that era. The younger Hardaway will now try to carve out his own legacy in South Beach.
More details on the contract are expected soon, but for now, the Heat are checking boxes. They got their superstar. Now they’re getting the right kind of players to put around him.
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