The Detroit Pistons have three free-agent guards in Malik Beasley, Dennis Schroder and Tim Hardaway Jr., and of the three, THJ is the least likely to return.
This has long been speculated, with insider Jake Fischer recently reporting that the Pistons will prioritize Beasley and Schroder of their own free agents.
Beasley is obviously coming off a monster season where he was second in the league in 3-point makes off the bench. He helped unlock Cade Cunningham, provided great veteran leadership and a bit of shimmy to a team that needed it.
Schroder also played an important role as a backup point guard who also showed he can play effectively off the ball, something that will be important with Jaden Ivey returning and expecting to play a lead guard role with the bench unit at times.
Schroder may end up being a luxury the Pistons can’t afford with needs in other areas, which is also the case with Tim Hardaway Jr., as the Pistons have two young wings and he might be priced out of their budget.
Losing THJ would be no small thing, as he brought several things to the Pistons that they will need to replace.
Tim Hardaway Jr. wasn’t spectacular, but he was solid for the Detroit Pistons
THJ’s numbers aren’t going to blow you away, but he provided stability at the guard spot, starting 77 games for the Pistons and shooting 36.8 percent from long range on nearly six attempts per game.
Those are numbers the Pistons are going to have to replace or improve upon if they want to continue to progress. Hardaway wasn’t the lights-out threat that Beasley was, but he was solid, consistent and suited up for nearly every game.
His availability and stability are two things the Pistons can’t take for granted, as THJ and Tobias Harris provided these characteristics that were clearly lacking in years prior.
THJ isn’t a great defender, but he gives effort and at least knows how to communicate and play solid team defense, again, not things that should be taken for granted when looking for a possible replacement.
Some of his shooting should be replaced by Jaden Ivey, but until he establishes himself over at least a whole season, he’s not going to create the kind of space that a guy like THJ does, as he’s a known shooter who is mostly looking for 3-point shots and not much else.
I’m sure the Pistons would love to have all three of their guard free agents back, as what they brought to the team was crucial and will be difficult to replace while trying to improve in other areas.