Defending the Detroit Pistons’ offseason moves so far

Defending the Detroit Pistons’ offseason moves so far

#5: The players they added are fits who fill needs

Troy Weaver hinted early on that the Pistons were not going to be making a big splash in free agency and he stuck to his word.

No one in their right mind would say that Joe Harris is a good bargain at $20 million, but it’s just for one season, that contract is very tradable, and even though he can’t defend, he’s one of the best 3-point shooters in league history, an area the Pistons needed to improve.

Contract aside, Harris is being brought in to be the 8th or 9th guy, and will give the Pistons another lights-out shooter to go along with Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks.

When you add in Monte Morris and Marcus Sasser, you now have five guys with a history of shooting around or above 40 percent from long range. So Detroit has addressed an area of weakness with Harris while picking up an expiring that could be hugely valuable at the trade deadline.

Unlike Harris, Monte Morris is still a very good player in his prime. He’s one of the better backup guards in the league, shoots 39 percent from 3-point range for his career and is a huge upgrade from Cory Joseph on both ends.

He gives them insurance against any injuries to Cade Cunningham or Jaden Ivey, provides more competition for Hayes and Sasser and gives Monty Williams a veteran hand he can trust.

Getting a guy like Morris for a second-round pick was a steal, and if the Pistons can extend him on a team-friendly deal, is the type of move that will help them long term.

These aren’t the most exciting names, and I get the disappointment, but at least Weaver didn’t tie the team to a long-term deal for a mediocre player, which is the exact thing that has killed the franchise in the past.