Tobias Harris has been treated as an expiring contract this season by trade machine addicts, who see his $26.6 million deal as the means to a better player, but Cade Cunningham was there to remind fans that Harris much more than that.
Harris may not be the 2nd option the Pistons will eventually need, but he can get them an iso bucket when they need it, plays solid defense, and his presence and professionalism have been huge for his young team.
Some fans ignore these facts as they stick Harris into every trade, but it certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammate. This is what Cunningham had to say about Harris after Tobias recently scored 25 to help lift Detroit over the Celtics:
“The way that he carries himself, his professionalism, how he takes care of his body, goes about his work, is an inspiration to all the young guys,” Cunningham said. “We all see that. And to see the success that he’s had and how he continues to go at it like that is impressive. We’re all thankful for it.”
Cunningham knows what he is doing here, as he’s been around long enough to know that Harris will be included in just about every rumor as the trade deadline approaches. This seemed like a quick reminder that Harris is not a guy they can just give away.
He’s not only important as a veteran leader, security blanket and pro’s pro, but fans and media tend to ignore the reality of the situation.
Trading Tobias Harris is not a no-brainer for the Pistons
I’ve brought this up roughly 800,000 times this season, so apologies if I sound like a broken record, but it would be tough for the Pistons to trade Harris without getting back a power forward.
I outlined it in a recent trade proposal that had the Pistons landing another scoring guard, which would leave them without a real power forward on the roster and undersized against some teams, particularly possible playoff opponents like the Cavaliers and Knicks.
Harris is also a huge part of the chemistry of this team, a guy the young players respect, listen to and trust. Sure, you could argue a player like Michael Porter Jr. offers more as an offensive weapon, but that ignores defense, matchups and intangibles, as he is not the kind of veteran leader Harris is. (Google one of MPJ’s cringe interviews if you don’t believe me).
This seemed like team leader Cade Cunningham giving his front office and fans a gentle nudge as if to say, “hey, we need this guy and can’t just give him away.”
It doesn’t appear as if Trajan Langdon has any plans to, and unless the trade target is not only an upgrade at the same position, but one with some veteran intangibles, he shouldn’t, as the Pistons are rolling, have the best chemistry in the Eastern Conference and there is no need to mess with that to chase a nebulous “upgrade” that will be there in the offseason when the Pistons have more information and flexibility at their disposal.