The losses for the Detroit Pistons keep on coming as free agency continues to unfold. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, veteran forward Tobias Harris is signing a two-year, $31 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs, heading back to the Western Conference after playing a pivotal role in the Pistons' dominant regular season that clinched the No. 1 seed in the East.
After Detroit signed free agent John Collins to officially kick off free agency in the Motor City, the writing was on the wall for Harris to exit. Still, even with the preparation for his departure, it doesn't make the loss any easier.
Between losing Harris and Isaiah Stewart this offseason and the lack of notable additions outside of Collins and Isaiah Joe, general manager Trajan Langdon is officially treading on thin ice as his team tiptoes the line of danger.
Pistons have arguably gotten worse up to this point
The Pistons have addressed needs with several of their moves up to this point, but none have really stood out as a clear "we got better" moment.
Drafting Ebuka Okorie in round 1 of the NBA Draft and adding Joe to bolster the scoring off the bench were both nice touches, and Collins helps the team get younger at the power forward position. Still, given what Harris offered Detroit in the postseason and even the regular season, this loss is worth mentioning.
Harris only averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists during the regular season, but he showed up in key moments, especially in clutch games.
Fast forward to the postseason, the 33-year-old proved age is just a number, averaging 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds through 14 games.
Beyond what he offered on the court, Harris was a key locker-room presence, serving as a reliable veteran who mentored the young core.
Obviously, Harris deserves the payday he landed on the open market, and Detroit would have found themselves having to make tough decisions to keep him around given his market value. Still, if there was any possibility of bringing him back to Detroit, the Pistons should have explored every avenue.
Both Harris and Stewart played key roles in the Pistons' success this past year, and while they ultimately fell short of the ultimate goal, there was a case for bringing both players back next season.
Now, Detroit has to hope their moves thus far and whatever else is on the horizon are enough to justify moving on from two pivotal pieces.
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