The Miami Heat are a team that many believe could make a run at making a major splash in free agency or on the trade market this coming offseason. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are a great duo to build around, but the Heat need to add more talent if they want to win the NBA Finals. One name to keep an eye on in the offseason could be current Dallas Mavericks sharpshooting wing Tim Hardaway Jr.
Hardaway has become a lethal scorer for the Mavericks and would be a great fit for the Heat. Even though Miami already has a wing sharpshooter in Duncan Robinson, Hardaway would come in and fit a big role immediately.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Heat are going to be a team to keep an eye on for Hardaway this offseason.
But if he does test the open market, keep an eye on the Heat, who have struggled to replace what Jae Crowder brought during their run to the 2020 NBA Finals. Victor Oladipo is no longer a candidate to land such a deal in the wake of his latest injury.
Bringing in Hardaway to replace the role that was previously played by Crowder makes a lot of sense. He may not be able to play the undersized power forward position, but he would bring decent defense and elite scoring.
During the 2020-21 NBA season with the Mavericks, Hardaway averaged 16.6 points per game to go along with 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He shot 44.7 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 39.1 percent of his three-point attempts. Those numbers show why a team like the Heat could target Hardaway to further their contention ability.
Miami would likely prefer to make a bigger splash this offseason if they can. However, if they are unable to land a star, Hardaway would be a great fallback option. He would be affordable and could step into an immediate starting role.
Hardaway will have plenty of suitors to choose from this offseason. The Mavericks would likely love to bring him back on a new deal as well. If he does have serious interest in leaving Dallas, Miami would be a very logical team for him to target landing with.
Expect to hear about quite a few teams showing interest in signing Tim Hardaway Jr. this offseason. Don’t be surprised if the Heat end up being one of those teams.
