Does this reported trade target make sense for the Detroit Pistons?
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The NBA trade deadline is this week and the Detroit Pistons are again playing the will they/won't they game.
Will they try to add an impact player?
Will they trade Bojan Bogdanovic? Alec Burks? Killian Hayes?
Will they do anything at all?
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I wish I had answers, but there's been painfully little information flowing out of the Pistons as the countdown to the trade deadline begins.
In a recent article for The Athletic, (Subscription) James Edwards III reported that the Pistons were still sniffing around Tobias Harris, but that talks hadn't gotten serious. That doesn't mean something is going to happen one way or another and there are serious questions about whether Harris is the type of player the Pistons should be pursuing, especially at the trade deadline.
Detroit Pistons trading for Tobias Harris at the trade deadline
Tobias Harris is having his typical season, as he is averaging just under 18 points per game, six rebounds and 3.2 assists, which are right around his career marks.
Harris has been one of the steadiest players in the NBA in his career, as he can consistently get buckets (though his 3-point percentage and volume have decreased this season) and he rarely misses games.
He's a pros pro, not a star, but a very solid player who you know will give you similar numbers year after year.
The Detroit Pistons could certainly use someone of that description, but it makes no sense to give up assets for him now when he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
As Edwards III noted, Harris does have connections to Detroit after playing there, but does he want to spend the end of his career on the Pistons? I'm dubious.
The only argument for going after him now is that they'd get an inside track on his free agency. The free agent class is not deep and Harris will be one of the top guys. He could have many suitors in free agency and could decide that chasing titles is more important than money unless someone throws a wild amount at him, which Detroit could.
But should they?
Tobias Harris in free agency
Harris will be one of the top free agents and is the type of player who could help any team. He's a great teammate, a team-first guy and like I said, he's a consistent bucket.
But he'll also be 32 years old next season and it might require a massive deal to lure him to Detroit. Harris has been mostly injury free in his career, so it's not like he has any red flags in that area, but Father Time is undefeated as they say, so does Detroit want to pay huge money for his last few productive years in the league? It's a risk.
I like Tobias Harris as a player and person, so part of me would be delighted to see him back with the Pistons. He can help the team, but there's no reason to give up assets for him now unless the Pistons are trying to save themselves the humiliation of winning fewer than 10 games this season, and as a free agent, he's a risk.
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