As the Miami Heat begin to build around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo when NBA Free Agency opens, there's one no-brainer move that the team should look to make as soon as possible.
It's signing Tim Hardaway Jr. to a veteran minimum deal. The Heat has already been linked to Hardaway Jr. before the start of free agency, and there's reason to believe that the Denver Nuggets will be looking at other options.
Assuming that's the case, the Heat shouldn't waste any time in making their interest in the veteran guard clear. Signing him at the start of free agency may not be what fans want to hear, but it could end up being an underrated move for a Heat supporting cast that needs depth.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is not a sexy Heat move, but he adds depth
This is the not the sexy move that Heat fans are hoping for at the start of free agency, but Hardaway Jr. has been a productive rotation piece for the better part of his career in the NBA. He's not a star player, but could play a big role for a Heat team that needs rotation bodies heading into this first-year build around Giannis.
Even at this late stage of his career, at the age of 34, Hardaway Jr. is coming off a season in which he averaged 13.5 points per game on 41 percent shooting from 3-point range for the Nuggets. He played in 80 regular-season games, offering a few spot starts occasionally, while also playing in all six playoff games for Denver.
Perhaps what's most appealing to targeting a player like Hardaway Jr. is his overall durability. Hardaway Jr. has played in at least 70 regular-season games in each of the last four seasons.
Hardaway Jr.'s consistency alone on that front would help make the signing worthwhile for the Heat. Depending on how the rest of free agency plays out, there's a very real chance that Hardaway Jr. could carve out a role as the 7th or 8th man for the Heat.
Will the money work for both sides?
If Hardaway Jr. is fine with taking the veteran's minimum, as he did last season from Denver, there's a real path where this is a move that makes sense for both sides. But, again, especially at the start of free agency, that's a big "if."
One thing that the Heat could have going for them is the idea of playing next to Giannis and Bam. Now that the Heat has a star duo, attracting productive veterans on value contracts is expected to be slightly easier. That's what getting a commitment from Hardaway Jr. would be for the Heat.
If Miami can make it happen, this is one of those moves that should be completed, without question, right at the start of free agency.
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