The Detroit Pistons’ big signing of the offseason so far was the two-year deal for Tobias Harris.
The move was mostly applauded by Pistons fans, but I don’t think anyone views Harris as the final piece of the puzzle, nor as a player who is necessarily going to move the needle in huge ways in the win column.
Most of us saw it for what it is: A slight overpay for a guy who fills needs from a team that doesn’t have any leverage in free agency.
But some NBA experts were far more critical of the move, including both Fox Sports and ESPN, who gave the signing a low grade.
Their points are basically that Harris won’t ultimately matter much for the Pistons, he was a waste of cap space for a team that should be trying to gather assets and that he’s not even that great a fit for a team building around Cade Cunningham.
And they do have some points.
The critics are right about Tobias Harris and the Pistons, but they are also wrong
I will concede that Harris isn’t going to make the Pistons into a contender for the playoffs, and if the goal of any move is to either make the team better now or for the future, this one does come up lacking.
I will also concede that there probably weren’t a lot of other teams out there willing to offer Harris that high of an annual salary, but as I said, the Pistons aren’t exactly a free-agent destination and will likely have to pay a premium for any free agent until they start winning.
You could also argue that he’s not a great fit, as he does his best work with the ball in his hands and may not be willing to relinquish that as much on a team that doesn’t have an MVP and an elite scorer as he had in Philly.
I think all of these points are fair, but I also think it’s just as easy to dismiss them.
The Tobias Harris signing isn’t just about wins, it’s about development and future assets
The Detroit Pistons are already markedly better than they were on paper coming into last season, so they should win more games, but that wasn’t the only point of the Tobias Harris signing, nor any of the moves the Pistons have made this offseason.
This is about development of the young players, which has been stunted because they haven’t had a coherent or complementary roster around them, and because the veterans they did have were always hurt and not very good when they weren’t.
Harris may not be an All-Star, but he’s a solid player who adds a real NBA talent to a roster that lacked it. He's also a durable player who hasn't missed a lot of games.
This will help the young players, particularly Cade Cunningham, who has been forced to carry a massive burden without any help. Better players around him means less forcing, fewer turnovers and more opportunity for Cade.
Harris is also not just a player, he’s a contract, one that aligns perfectly with the timeline Trajan Langdon has established. His play shouldn’t dip too dramatically in two seasons, and if it doesn’t, he’ll be easy to trade as an expiring contract for future assets or potentially as the centerpiece of a big trade for a star.
There are benefits of Harris that go beyond his value in the win column or his annual salary. He’s going to help their young guys, he stays healthy, and will give the team a chance to play out their season trying to win instead of plugging injuries with G-League and two-way players as they have done the last four seasons.
And when it comes to fit, I’m not sure I agree with the experts on that one either.
Tobias Harris is a fit on the Detroit Pistons
The Pistons needed a power forward who can stretch the floor and Tobias Harris fits the bill.
Both Fox and ESPN expressed concerns that Harris will want to claim a larger role than the one he had in Philly, which could cause him to be a questionable fit with Cade Cunningham.
I am certain Trajan Langdon talked about this with Harris before ever signing a deal, and that Harris is completely on board with what the Pistons are doing from a front-office perspective. He's smart, he's a professional and I'm sure he gets it.
He knows that if he plays strong off the ball, hits a ton of 3-point shots and shows he can thrive in a complementary role, he’ll end up traded to a contender before his two-year contract is out. Everyone wins by him succeeding with the Pistons, including him.
The Pistons didn’t sign Tobias Harris to be their #1 option, and just because he’s their most accomplished scorer, doesn’t mean he will be. Everyone got into this situation with their eyes open and I am sure Harris is totally clear about his role with this team.
I understand some of the concerns, and i do think they are valid, but if you are looking at this from a development/asset point of view, the Pistons did well to get a guy who will help their young players and is on a tradable contract that will eventually land the Pistons assets or be used as part of a impactful trade.
Langdon is thinking two years down the road and what Harris will have meant to this team both as a player and after he’s gone.