After spending the past three seasons in Dallas and playing a huge part on the Mavericks as Luka Doncic's backcourt mate, Tim Hardaway Jr. may be looking for a new home this offseason. Even though the Mavs will do all they can to bring him back, the opportunity to explore free agency may be all too tempting for Hardaway Jr. and could result in him looking elsewhere to continue his playing career.
With lots of teams looking to reshuffle their rosters and add more depth to their backcourt, Hardaway Jr. will definitely have some options this summer. Especially with there being a lack of elite scoring guards in this year's free agency class. Having said all this, let's take a look at the three ideal destinations for Tim Hardaway Jr. to consider in 2021 NBA free agency.
Tim Hardaway Jr. landing spots:
Miami Heat
Now that Goran Dragic, Kendrick Nunn, Victor Oladipo, and Duncan Robinson are set to be free agents this summer, Miami will without question be in need of more scoring and playmaking in their backcourt. With a very limited number of shooting guard's in this year's free agent class, the Heat would most certainly luck out with the addition of Tim Hardaway Jr., especially with the departures of Dragic, Nunn, and Robinson becoming more and more likely.
Plus, with Tim Hardaway Jr.'s ability to play shooting guard or small forward, he'd be a perfect fit for the Heat's innovative style of position-less basketball.
With Tim Hardaway Sr. considered one of the greatest player's in Heat history and one of the greatest point guards the NBA has ever seen, it goes without saying that Tim Hardaway Jr. would be a welcome addition in Miami. By following closely in his father's footsteps and playing for this historically great franchise, Hardaway Jr. would be at right home in south beach.
San Antonio Spurs
With the San Antonio Spurs having fallen out of the playoff picture over the past few years, adding a veteran presence like Tim Hardaway Jr. would fit in nicely with the Spurs' youth movement. Now this move would be a huge blow to the Mavs given that this is an in-state and division rival, but Hardaway Jr.'s can-do attitude and great feel for the game would make him a perfect fit on the Spurs.
His tireless work ethic and coachability are what make him the exact type of player that Gregg Popovich loves to coach. Plus with an exciting young rotation that already features Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker, and Jakob Poeltl, Tim Hardaway Jr. would fit in seamlessly with his well-rounded offensive game and sound defensive presence. Adding Hardaway to this young Spurs squad could also be a move that gets them back into the playoff mix next season.
Dallas Mavericks
At the end of the day, re-signing with the Mavs would be the most logical move for Tim Hardaway Jr., especially given how much his play has elevated over the past few seasons playing alongside Luka Doncic.
With the Mavs on the verge of putting a together a deep playoff run, Hardaway's return to the team would prove to play a huge role in making this happen. Especially with him already having been a major contributor in their previous playoff runs.
His return to the team is a much-needed signing and would be a move that keeps Doncic happy while giving them a familiar face and a proven playoff performer that could continue to come through big for them in clutch situations. If Tim Hardaway Jr. wants to pursue a title and play on a growing team, then sticking it out with the Mavericks may actually be his best option moving forward.
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