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The two words that may have changed the Denver Nuggets’ season were spoken in the summer, during a phone call between head coach David Adelman and free agent Tim Hardaway Jr. In search of a catch-and-shoot weapon, some scoring off the bench and a heady veteran as a target for plays after timeouts, Adelman told Hardaway what every shooter dreams of hearing: Green light. “I just said I was gonna let him be exactly what he is,” Adelman said. “The green light is the green light: If he feels like there’s an inch of him being open, he should shoot the ball.”
To Hardaway, Adelman’s words felt like more than just a sales pitch from the Nuggets. He felt like he was seen. Appreciated. Valued. His recruitment was over. “Him reaching out and saying that, that’s all I really needed,” said Hardaway, who played for the Detroit Pistons last season.
Nine months later, Hardaway is a finalist for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, which will be announced Wednesday, and is being regarded as a lifesaver for a Nuggets season that could have easily gone off the rails because of injuries. On Monday, Hardaway was a first-half spark plug against Minnesota in the teams’ first-round series. Adelman said everything he imagined Denver was getting with Hardaway has been exceeded. “Beyond what I expected,” Adelman said. “He is one of the main, main reasons why we survived this season. The guy won us games. Flat out. Just really, really impactful.” Added Jon Wallace, the Nuggets’ executive vice president of player personnel: “He’s had immense value for us.”
Before his career-best 40.7 percent shooting from 3-point range this season, and before he led the NBA with 205 3-pointers off the bench, and before he tied an NBA record with five games of at least seven 3-pointers off the bench, there was Atlanta. “Rock bottom?” Hardaway repeated before a long pause. “It was Atlanta. One-thousand percent.” It was his third NBA season, in the summer of 2015 after he had been traded to the Hawks from New York, which moved on after taking him with the 24th pick in 2013. After averaging a little more than 23 minutes a game in New York, Hardaway thought he was headed for a bigger role with the Hawks. Instead, he found himself sitting in Budenholzer’s office, getting a lecture. “Bud was like, ‘You’re not gonna play the first 25 games. I don’t care if people are injured or not. Like, you won’t see the floor. We’re trying to make you into the player we want you to become,'” Hardaway remembered.
He sensed this was the beginning of the end. He wondered if he was destined for the leagues in Europe. He said he called his agent daily, as well as his Hall of Famer father, point guard Tim Hardaway Sr., fretting about his future. “It was my lowest point; I didn’t know if I was going to be sticking around,” Hardaway said.
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Budenholzer’s office sermon played on repeat in his mind. Today, Hardaway remembers the entire conversation as if it was yesterday. Budenholzer wanted him to be in better shape so he could not only shoot, but also defend. He wanted him to be on time. He wanted him to work on his game outside of team practices and shootarounds. He wanted him to start eating better and taking care of his body. “He really gave me the blueprint of how to stay in the league,” Hardaway said.
Ryan Blackburn: Tim Hardaway Jr. on the Nuggets drop off in the second quarter: “You get too high and you get — I don’t wanna say getting cocky, but feeling yourself.”
Chris Hine: Jaden McDaniels, deadpan delivery, on what worked for the Timberwolves offensively. Jaden: “Go at Jokic, Jamal, all the bad defenders. Tim Hardaway, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, their whole team.” Q: They’re all bad defenders? Jaden: “Yeah, they’re all bad defenders.”
NBA Communications: The three finalists for the 2025-26 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award: Tim Hardaway Jr., @nuggets Jaime Jaquez Jr., @MiamiHEAT Keldon Johnson, @spurs
Bennett Durando: Nikola Jokic is questionable for tomorrow’s game against San Antonio. The other four starters, Tim Hardaway Jr. Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones are all out. Jokic has to play 15 minutes to be eligible for end-of-season awards.
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The Nuggets have upgraded Tim Hardaway Jr (left knee soreness) to available for Saturday's game against San Antonio.
Brendan Vogt: Tim Hardaway Jr. is PROBABLE to play tomorrow against SAS. Watson, Jones, Nnaji are all OUT. Aaron Gordon is not on the injury report.
Brendan Vogt: Peyton Watson is week to week with a hamstring strain, per David Adelman. Spencer Jones is day to day with his hamstring issue. Tim Hardaway Jr. went through all of practice today. Adelman was careful with Aaron Gordon in practice, pulling him out at times.
