As the official start of free agency gets closer, the Pistons still haven't gotten any commitment from their upcoming free agents on new contracts - including Tobias Harris. While many other free agents around the league have already agreed to new deals with their prior teams, Harris remains a wildcard and rumors about him potentially leaving Detroit are growing ever louder.
The Pistons might need Harris to return
The Pistons should obviously be focused on getting a power forward upgrade over Harris for their starting lineup. But even if that dream comes to fruition, they still have very little depth at the position and should do what they can to keep Harris on the team. If he decides to take his talents elsewhere, the Pistons arguably have no one else capable of playing the 4 spot currently on their roster.
Last season, Harris' value was most obvious in the playoffs. With his younger teammates largely struggling on offense (outside of Cade Cunningham), Harris took it upon himself to become a go-to scorer. Even with cramped spacing and a lack of shooting on his team, Harris was able to put up 7 straight 20-point games against solid defenses.
Without Harris, the Pistons don't even get past the Magic in the first round. His ability to make something out of nothing in the mid-post is rare these days and exactly what the Pistons needed. But Harris' struggles shooting the ball from three-point range have also contributed to Detroit's offensive woes in the grand scheme.
The ideal spot for him in the Pistons rotation would be a bench scorer who can take over the offense with backup lineups. If he can sustain a high floor for the offense even without Cade on the floor, the Pistons could have a crucial advantage over the regular season. But hopefully the Pistons don't need to ask too much of him and can replace him in the starting lineup as he gets older.
Detroit will pivot if they need to
Although the free agent market is not very robust at his position, the Pistons can surely find replacements for Harris if he chooses to leave. There are certainly other power forwards available, either through free agency or trade, that provide better 3-and-D capabilities.
At this stage in the Pistons' trajectory towards becoming title contenders, they might be looking for more complimentary skills out of their starting power forward. Bringing in someone younger and better fit for the modern NBA could be a good move, although they would love to keep Harris around as a veteran mentor and locker room leader.
Add us as a preferred source on Google