Tim Hardaway Jr. will get his number after all

It's not known if the number will actually be taken down from the rafters in some sort of ceremony, or left there along with 3 for Dwyane Wade, 32 for Shaquille O'Neal, 1 for Chris Bosh, 33 for Alonzo Mourning and 40 for Udonis Haslem.

But it will be worn on the court now, by a player who is much different than his father, more of a shooter than a playmaker, and someone the Heat targeted at the start of free agency to complement a new roster led by Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Hardaway Jr. had a strong season in Denver last season, finishing third in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and that could be his role in Miami.

But he also may have a chance to start, depending on whether the Heat add another shooter, or perhaps even LeBron James, who has Miami among the teams he is considering. Another option is Pelle Larsson, who had success as a starter in his second season, and the Heat worked hard to keep out of the trade for Giannis with the Milwaukee Bucks. He's a glue guy, and Erik Spoelstra likes those in the lineup.

Whatever Hardaway Jr. does, it will be hard to live up to the exploits of his senior, who joined the Heat in a trade in 1996 after he had fallen out of the rotation in Golden State, his career seemingly cooked due to knee injuries at a time when those required longer recovery than they do today.

Hardaway Sr. reinvented himself as more of a halfcourt player than what he had been with the Warriors, as the pre-injury engine of Run TMC, pairing with Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond to terrorize in transition. With Miami, he got the ball to Mourning, and he got off the shots in crunch time, and if not for the presence of the rival New York Knicks and the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls, he might have reached an NBA Finals.

He has spoken in the past of the tough love he used with his son when the latter was growing up.

But this gesture is a bit warmer, and will likely be warmly received.