"Pistons fans better brace themselves" for this free agent

The Detroit Pistons shouldn't pursue free-agent Tobias Harris

I like Harris as a player and person, and it would be cool to see him finish his career in Detroit, as he embraced the city and fans in his short time in the Motor City.

The arguments against him are related to finances, age and fit.

If the Pacers go all-in to re-sign Pascal Siakam, then Tobias Harris will arguably be the best remaining free agent on the market. Teams are well aware of what he can do, so even though there won't be a lot of teams with cap space, Harris will have suitors.

It may take something in the range of 3 years/$120 million for Harris, which is pretty steep for a guy who has never made an All-Star team.

Harris will be 32 years old this summer, so he's not ancient by any means but the Pistons would be paying prime prices for non-prime years, which is something you generally want to avoid.

I also question his fit in some ways, as the Pistons are already playing a more up-tempo style with Bogdanovic and Burks gone (it's only been one game, but the difference was noticeable), which seems to fit the strengths of their young, athletic core.

It's also possible that the Pistons will get 80 percent of what Harris would give them from Fontecchio at a much cheaper price. Yes, they could work with both of them, but if the Pistons view Fontecchio more as a stretch four, then there might be some overlap.

Harris is a very good player, as consistent as they come and he has rarely missed games in his career, so it makes sense for a young team that has had injury problems to pursue someone they can count on.

But there are also some questions about whether he's worth what they'll have to pay him, especially given his age and fit with the young core.

Tobias Harris isn't a no-brainer either way, and I'd be happy to see him back at the right price, but the chances of the Pistons getting a team-friendly deal from one of the top free agents are slim and none, so they will have to balance his value vs. cost, especially for the back end of his next contract when the young core will be much more expensive.