Entering the postseason, Tobias Harris' fate with the Detroit Pistons had already seemed to be written.
Considering his $26 million contract, average regular-season production, and reputation as a playoff dropper, the 33-year-old veteran no longer seemed to be an ideal fit for what the Pistons were building in the Motor City.
Fast forward to now, Harris has not only rewritten his playoff reputation, but he's become a player that arguably has the best case of any player not named Cade Cunningham to be brought back for next season.
Tobias Harris has been just short of perfect in the playoffs
Harris has been a major key to the Pistons' success throughout the postseason, not only serving as a crutch to Cunningham's heroics to storm back from a 3-1 deficit in round 1, but also opening the team's semifinals series against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 2-0 lead.
Averaging 21.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, while shooting 46.4% from field goal range and 30.4% from three through nine postseason games, Harris has been the perfect complement as the No. 2 scoring option, which has been much-needed with the up and down play of Jalen Duren.
And that's not even including what he's offered as a reliable defender, averaging 1.7 steals per game up to this point.
Looking at his playoff impact, to say Harris has changed the narrative surrounding his future in Detroit would be an understatement, especially if he's willing to take a hometown discount to stay around.
Harris is the ideal veteran to keep around if the Pistons can
There's no denying that the price tag that Harris is currently on isn't one that the Pistons would entertain bringing him back on.
Obviously, sign-and-trade scenarios will be on the table, but the reality is, if Detroit can find a way to bring the forward back on a team-friendly deal, he'd be the perfect veteran to have on the roster moving forward.
Despite his age, Harris is proving to be an adequate option on offense, and he's doing more than enough defensively for J.B. Bickerstaff to trust when he's on the court.
The initial skepticism about Harris returning to Detroit beyond this season stemmed from the fact that the Pistons would likely rather use the financial resources it would take to retain him for additional moves to address other needs, and maybe get younger.
While that may still be the case, it wouldn't be a shock to see general manager Trajan Langdon make it a point of emphasis to find a way to keep the forward around if the two sides can come to terms on a deal that benefits all parties involved.
For Harris, though, his playoff resurgence has put him in a position where he may put the Pistons in a bidding war they prefer not to be a part of.
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