The Detroit Pistons made a splash in NBA free agency by signing veteran forward Tobias Harris to a two-year deal worth a whopping $52 million.
This move is a homecoming of sorts for the 32-year-old, who spent three seasons in Detroit between 2016 and 2018. His return to the Pistons is motivated by much more than just sentimental reasons, though.
Tobias Harris’ Expected Role With Detroit Pistons

$26 million a year is a lot of money, and whether or not Harris is worth his weight in gold is a subjective question. For the Pistons, though, they had one clear motivation as to why they decided to bring back the 6-foot-8 forward on a substantial deal.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Detriot is adamant that Harris “can serve as a foundational leader for the Pistons’ rebuild from the NBA cellar.”
Harris does not exactly fall within the current timeline of the team’s young core, but he is still expected to play a pivotal role all the same. He might no longer be part of the squad when they emerge as a serious contender for an NBA title somewhere down the road, but Harris is now expected to lay the foundation on what the organization is hoping will be a very promising future.

Last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, Harris averaged 17.2 points per contest on 48.7 percent shooting, to go along with 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.0 steals. He’s no superstar, but he’s a reliable scorer night in and night out.
While the Pistons will still rely on his production in the coming season, it is clear that Harris is expected to play a more future-thinking role for the benefit of the Cade Cunninghams and the Ron Hollands of the squad.

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