Tim Hardaway Jr. credits his move to the Denver Nuggets this offseason in part to the presence of two familiar faces on the coaching staff — Jared Dudley and J.J. Barea.
Speaking to The Denver Post, Hardaway revealed that learning about Denver’s offseason staff hires played a key role in his free agency decision. “Three or four teams reached out,” he said. “But once I found out the Nuggets were hiring Jared Dudley and J.J. Barea, they had my attention.”
Dudley, who spent recent seasons as an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks, worked closely with Hardaway during his five-year run in Dallas. Barea, a former Mavericks guard, was also a brief teammate of Hardaway’s.
“I congratulated both of them and spent 15 minutes on the phone with Dudley talking about the Nuggets,” Hardaway said. “Once I was really interested, I talked to Coach David Adelman and we got it situated.”
The veteran wing, who signed a one-year minimum deal with Denver on July 10, said having two coaches who understand his strengths provided a sense of continuity. “It gives you more confidence,” Hardaway added. “They understand your style of play, and they reiterate that to the rest of the coaching staff. Jared Dudley knows what I can do on and off the floor for the team.”
Hardaway joins a Nuggets roster built around three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and guard Jamal Murray. His shooting and experience are expected to help bolster Denver’s second unit.
The 33-year-old averaged 11.0 points and shot 36.8 percent from three last season with the Detroit Pistons, starting all 77 games. Across 813 career appearances, he has averaged 13.7 points on 36.1 percent three-point shooting.
