Tim Hardaway Jr. Settles Into a New Bench Role With the Miami Heat
Tim Hardaway Jr. enters his 13th season with a new team, the Miami Heat, after spending last season with Denver. He's healthy to start 2026-27, not on the injury report, and has split his first four outings of the season between modest bench minutes and a big shooting night against Toronto.
By the Heat Nightly Desk · updated 5 d ago01The story of the nightA new address for a 13-year veteranTim Hardaway Jr.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is in his 13th season, now wearing No. 10 for the Miami Heat after playing last season with Denver. He's a 6-5, 205-pound guard out of Michigan, and at 34 years old he's one of the more experienced players on the roster. The move to Miami puts him in a new system after a full season in Denver, where he played in all 80 games. He's not on the injury report heading into this stretch, giving the coaching staff a healthy veteran option on the wing.
02What he brought to Denver last seasonLast season with Denver, Hardaway Jr.
Last season with Denver, Hardaway Jr. played all 80 games, averaging 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 26.6 minutes. He shot 44.7 percent from the field, 40.7 percent from three and 81.1 percent from the line, numbers that add up to a 62.4 true shooting percentage. His usage rate sat at 17.7, and he finished the season with a plus-2.5 on-court mark. Those shooting splits, especially the 40.7 percent from deep, are the calling card he brings into his new role in Miami: a veteran who can space the floor without needing the ball in his hands often.
03Early returns with MiamiHardaway Jr.'s first games in a Heat uniform have been a mixed bag through four outings.
Hardaway Jr.'s first games in a Heat uniform have been a mixed bag through four outings. He opened with 14 points in 11.2 minutes in a win over Toronto on October 3, then added 11 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 19.2 minutes in a win over New Orleans on October 8. Against Brooklyn on October 14, he had his best floor time of the stretch, 20.1 minutes, finishing with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and a plus-8.0. His most recent outing, a loss to Orlando on October 16, was quieter: 7 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists in just 8.9 minutes.
04How last season ended in DenverHardaway Jr.'s final stretch with Denver came in a series of games against Minnesota in late April.
Hardaway Jr.'s final stretch with Denver came in a series of games against Minnesota in late April. He played extended minutes in that run, including 27.7 minutes in an April 25 loss, 28.0 minutes in an April 23 loss and 27.3 minutes in an April 20 win. His scoring varied game to game: 16 points on April 20, 11 points on April 23, 10 points on April 25, 8 points on April 27 and 13 points on April 30. That stretch against Minnesota closed out his time in Denver before his move to Miami for this season.
05Health and roster notesHardaway Jr.
Hardaway Jr. is not on the injury report right now, which matters for a 34-year-old in his 13th season carrying a new role on a new roster. There's no injury history listed for him heading into this stretch of the schedule. On October 10, he was mentioned in a Heat Notes roundup from Anthony Chiang alongside the names Irving, Smith, Gardner and Richards. The item didn't lay out specifics beyond that grouping, so for now it's simply a name check in a notes column rather than a reported trade or injury development.
Hardaway Jr.13.5 ppg
Sheppard13.5 ppg
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