Tobias Harris explored free agency this summer and decided to return to the Detroit Pistons to sign a two-year, $52 million contract. The team that he used to play for now finds itself rebuilding with a young core that is hungry for veteran leadership.
The Detroit Pistons are coming from a franchise-low 14-win season but the team came into free agency with the biggest cap space. Aside from trading for Tim Hardaway Jr., and signing Paul Reed and Malik Beasley, the biggest addition that they made was acquiring sharpshooting Harris.
Since leaving the Pistons as a 23-year-old, Harris finds himself teaming up with players younger than 22 years old, with 2021 first overall pick Cade Cunningham as the centerpiece. Detroit has also stacked the roster with young guns like Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, Marcus Sasser and newly acquired rookies, Ron Holland II and Bobi Klintman.
Now at 32 years of age, Harris gets the role of team veteran, and he gets to embrace this task entering the 2024–25 season.
“To be the best leader that I can be for this group,” Harris said through an interview during NBA Summer League. “To make sure every guy on this team reaches their potential in their ability. That’s the biggest goal for me.”
Tobias Harris and his Detroit Pistons roots
Drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks and spending his early years with the Orlando Magic, Tobias Harris finds himself traded in the middle of the 2015-16 season to the Detroit Pistons, playing there for the next 157 games.
Paired up with Andre Drummond, he led the team in scoring during the 2016–17 season with 16.1 points along with 5.1 rebounds a and 1.7 assists.
In just three seasons before getting shipped away through a trade for Blake Griffin of the LA Clippers, the motor city left quite a good mark on Harris.
“Detroit always had a place in my heart from the time that I was there,” Harris said. “Originally I met my wife in Detroit, so that’s where she’s from. And for me it was an opportunity to be a part of a young group that has taken the right steps in the right direction to really turn this thing around. And that meant a lot for me and I was excited for a new chapter.”
In his last year with the Philadelphia 76ers, Harris was able to appear in 70 regular season games. The former Tennessee Volunteer provided averages of 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.0 steals.
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