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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Miami Heat pulled off one of the biggest trades in NBA history last week, acquiring two-time NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, pairing him with All-Defensive center Bam Adebayo. The deal also brought along Bobby Portis and sent back Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, and a haul of draft picks.
Fans immediately started calling the Heat title contenders, and their odds to win a championship next year shot up. But critics were quick to push back, noting how Miami just lost a number of key role players and perimeter shooting, notably Herro, a career 38.2% 3-point shooter.
Antetokounmpo has shot just 28.5% from deep, and Adebayo is a career 31.6% shooter from long range, so neither addressed that concern. But on Tuesday, the Heat may have found a legitimate solution.
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ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Tim Hardaway Jr., a 13-year NBA veteran and one of the best 3-point shooters in the league, has agreed to a deal with Miami.
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Hardaway was drafted 24th overall by the New York Knicks in 2013 after a dominant career at Michigan. After two seasons with the Knicks, he bounced between Atlanta, Dallas, and Detroit before landing in Denver last season.
Even being on a minimum deal, he quietly enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career. Hardaway averaged 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in just 26.6 minutes, and shot a career-high 40.7% from beyond the arc on 6.9 attempts per game. He finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and made more 3-point shots than any other reserve in the NBA.
Hardaway also attended Miami Palmetto High School, and his father, Tim Hardaway Sr., is a franchise cornerstone whose No. 10 jersey still hangs in the rafters at Kaseya Center, making this a homecoming as well.
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For the Heat, this is the cleanest fit they could've asked for. With Antetokounmpo drawing double teams nightly and Adebayo anchoring the paint, Hardaway steps in as one of the most reliable catch-and-shoot threats in the league.
In one swift move, Miami just shored up a real weakness.
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