3 Free Agent Shooters Nuggets Can Target With Tim Hardaway Jr. Gone

3 Free Agent Shooters Nuggets Can Target With Tim Hardaway Jr. Gone

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The first domino of the Denver Nuggets' 2026 free agency period has fallen. And rather than a signing of their own, it's a departure of one of their more impactful veterans from this past season.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Miami Heat have reportedly agreed to a one-year, $6.5 million deal with former Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr.–– effectively coming in to provide extra spacing and experience to their new-and-improved core led by Giannis Antetokounmpo.

While a strong move from the Miami front office, it now leaves the Nuggets looking for answers to replace the production that Hardaway Jr.'s departure now creates.

Hardaway finished within the top three of Sixth Man of the Year voting this past season, averaging 13.5 points on 40.7% shooting from three. With the lack of cap flexibility that the Nuggets have this summer, it's tough to imagine them striking gold on a veteran minimum deal once again to fill his void.

However, there are a few intriguing free agent shooters that the Nuggets could look into around the market that could at least provide a similar dose of spacing to this Denver bench that'll be heavily valued for this offense.

Let's take a look at three of those free agents that might make sense for Denver to pursue:

Gary Trent Jr.

Trent's production with the Bucks last season took a bit of a dip from what he's been accustomed to throughout his NBA career. He had his lowest scoring average seen since his rookie season in 2019 (8.1 PPG), and shot a step below his career average of 38.7% from three (36.0%).

That dip in production might just give the Nuggets a perfect opportunity to buy low on a veteran minimum deal to replace Hardaway Jr., though.

He's someone who's proven to be a productive rotational guard the five seasons before his latest showing in Milwaukee, and a better offensive system in Denver might just be able to inject a second life into his career at just 28 years old.

Cameron Thomas

Perhaps a bit more of a risky endeavor than Trent Jr., Thomas spent last season struggling to find staying power on both the Bucks and Brooklyn Nets' rosters, only playing a combined 42 games due to behind-the-scenes drama that bubbled up around his fit on the roster and in the locker room.

But Thomas has shown to be a bona fide bucket-getter when he has an opportunity. He has career averages of nearly 15 points per game, and while his three-point shooting numbers aren't exactly his strong point (34.0% for his career), he does have multiple seasons of shooting over 36% from deep that warrant a strong look for a Denver roster in need of bench scoring.

Considering Thomas is fresh off a season in which two teams opted to simply cut him from their roster, his value might be lower than ever. That allows for a team like Denver to strike on a minimum contract to potentially elevate him into a sixth-man role, and rebuild his stock as the spark plug scorer he was once touted as.

Seth Curry

Curry might be the most uninspiring entry on this list. He appeared in only 10 games for the Warriors last season due to injury woes, and will be entering his age-36 season that could lead to further questions about how his durability might hold up throughout the regular season, and especially the postseason.

But there's no doubt that Curry can shoot the ball. While not as historic from deep like his brother, he's shot above 45% from three the past two seasons of his career––leading the league in three-point percentage in 2024-25––on over 2.5 attempts per game.

If the Nuggets simply wanted to sign a budget-friendly veteran who can offer ample floor spacing and experience, perhaps Curry could be worth a look as someone Denver can utilize at the end of their rotation next season.

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Jared Koch is a sportswriter and editor covering the NFL and NBA for the On SI network since 2023.