As the Detroit Pistons near the start of free agency this evening, rumors of which players Pistons GM Troy Weaver will look to sign have made their way around social media.
Potential targets of the Pistons this free agency period include centers Nerlens Noel and Kelly Olynyk. With Isaiah Stewart and Jahlil Okafor as the only big men on Detroit’s roster who have NBA experience, it makes sense for the team to add another center for roster depth.
One of the bigger names the Pistons are rumored to have an interest in signing is shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr.
The Detroit Pistons are a team to watch as a potential suitor for Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency, a league source tells @MavericksSI.
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) August 1, 2021
Hardaway Jr. remains among the Dallas Mavericks' priorities as free agency approaches.
Will the Detroit Pistons go big with their cap space?
Weaver and the Pistons front office opened up cap flexibility for this year’s free agency period after they traded Mason Plumlee to the Charlotte Hornets and released Cory
Joseph, Tyler Cook, and Deividas Sirvydas.
The Pistons do have added cap space to make some signings this offseason, but with Blake Griffin’s contract still on the books for next season, that cap space is limited.
Hardaway played very well for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2020-21 season. The former Michigan Wolverine scored 16.6 points per game while playing in 28.4 minutes per game coming off the bench for Dallas.
The 6-5 guard is looking to garner a contract that would average him over $20 million per season this offseason. If Detroit is able to pull Hardaway Jr. away from the Mavericks, they would have to pay him handsomely. That contract would also come at the risk of signing other players as depth.
Despite the large price to bring the shooting guard onto the roster, he would immediately elevate the Pistons offense as they pursue contention in the coming years.
Detroit Pistons: Tim Hardaway Jr. would help Detroit’s shooting
Last season with the Mavericks, Hardaway Jr. shot 39.1 percent from beyond the arc while attempting 7.6 three-point shots per game.
Adding Hardaway Jr. to the Pistons rotation would go a long way towards alleviating Detroit’s shooting woes from last season. Detroit ranked in the bottom half of the league in three-point shooting last season. The team was 22nd in both three-point attempts and percentage last season.
Detroit only had five players shoot over 36 percent from beyond the arc on at least two attempts per game last season. In that group, Wayne Ellington, Frank Jackson, Hamidou Diallo, and Cory Joseph are entering free agency. The team hopes to bring back Jackson and Diallo, but Joseph and Ellington are likely to be moving on to other teams this offseason.
With at least two of their best three-point shooters likely to be gone next season, Hardaway Jr. would immediately be one of the team’s best shooters if he signs a contract with the team.
The guard’s 7.6 shot attempts from beyond the arc would have also led the team as Saddiq Bey led Detroit in three-point attempts per game with 6.8.
The 29-year-old would be one of Detroit’s leading scorers if he were to sign with the team. He would receive a healthy load of shots and his three-point shooting would pair well with the team’s other stars.
Detroit Pistons: Tim Hardaway Jr. is a great third option behind Cade Cunningham and Jerami Grant
While it is not completely clear whether rookie point guard Cade Cunningham or power forward Jerami Grant will be the top option for Detroit next season, there is no doubt that those two will be the first and second options in Detroit’s offense. If Hardaway Jr. were added to the roster, he could be the ideal third option.
Hardaway Jr. does not need the ball in his hands to be an effective offensive weapon. The 29-year-old was used almost entirely off-ball next to Luka Dončić during his tenure in with Dallas. Hardway Jr. is adept at moving off-ball and getting to his spots for open looks.
With Grant and Cunningham both ball-dominant scorers, having a third option who can run in an off-ball role would be the ideal pairing. Hardaway Jr. is a reliable three-point shooter and can be an outlet for Grant and Cunningham when their drives to the basket are stalled.
Despite being such a good player off-ball, Hardaway Jr. is still a threat to score with the ball in his hands.
The shooting guard is not an elite scorer, but he has shown the ability to create his own shots and get to the rim. His versatility as an offensive weapon would make him a good player to run with the second unit as well as the starters.
The 29-year-old may be targeting a larger role as a starter, and Detroit could offer him that as a third option behind Grant and Cunningham.