Mavericks fans can only laugh when they hear who the Nuggets just signed

Just days removed from the NBA Draft, free agency has opened with a bang, leaving most of the league with an exciting offseason. One team that has had a generally quiet offseason but made two of the biggest splashes in the free agency market has been the Dallas Mavericks with their additions of D'Angelo Russell and the drafting of Cooper Flagg.

While the Mavericks have geared up for yet another playoff push, multiple Western Conference rivals have also geared up for the hopes of competing with the Oklahoma City Thunder at the top of the West, and the Denver Nuggets have become one of those teams. After making one of the biggest splashes in the trade market by acquiring Cam Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets, the Nuggets have also signed guard Bruce Brown and former Mavericks fan-favorite wing, Tim Hardaway Jr.

The Nuggets have sent a clear message to the league that they aren't going to be a pushover team after inking Hardaway Jr. to a one-year deal. While the dollar figure is unknown yet, it's very likely the Nuggets have retained much of their cap space and can still target a highly valued free agent if they wish to do so, but after retooling this summer, the Nuggets are one of the top juggernauts of the Western Conference.

Nuggets will learn the good, the bad, and the ugly of Hardaway Jr.

Just last season with the Detroit Pistons, Hardaway Jr. had a very impressive year in his first season away from the Mavericks since being traded to Dallas in 2018. Hardaway Jr. not only helped a struggling Detroit squad reach the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons, but he became a vital piece off their bench in the playoffs and throughout the regular season.

While Hardaway Jr. impressed with the Pistons, it became increasingly clear that he outplayed his time in Detroit and would likely get a longer-term deal on another playoff caliber team, which is why he could be a perfect fit in Denver. Alongside Nikola Jokic, Hardaway Jr. will find open shots just as he did in Dallas with Luka Doncic and will add depth to a Denver bench that was desperate for a flamethrower-type player in the postseason.

But, things could go south quickly if he isn't knocking down his shots. Hardaway Jr. is known for calling his own number often, and Nuggets fans could get frustrated with his decision-making as they did with Michael Porter Jr. sometimes.

As Dallas fans know all too well, Hardaway Jr. is capable of an incredible night from the field but also susceptible to clanking everything off the back iron when shots aren't falling his way. This is something Nugget fans will need to get used to, but the possibility of Hardaway Jr. having a flamethrower-type game in the postseason is too great not to sign for a team looking to win it all.

For Denver, this is the perfect signing, considering shooting and depth off the bench were something that plagued them in their seven-game series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which they ended up losing. Not only is Hardaway Jr. a step closer to winning an NBA Championship, but he will also face off against the Mavericks more, which could spell bad news for Dallas fans hoping to see them beat the Nuggets.

While Hardaway Jr.'s ending in Dallas was sour, the time he spent as a Maverick made him one of the fan-favorite guards for a long time. Even after a stinker of a game, the fanbase stood by his side and cheered him on, which is why seeing him a few more times a year in a rival's jersey will be an interesting experience for Dallas fans.

Hardaway Jr.'s time in Dallas was polarizing to say the absolute least, and Nuggets fans are going to have to deal with streakiness and some poor shot selection. His inconsistency plagued the end of his time with the Mavs, and Nuggets fans may need to tame their expectations when it comes to how big of an impact they expect him to make.

Only time will tell if they will get the knockdown shooter they desperately need or a player who disappears when they need him most.