We’re following the Detroit Pistons and rumors live as the 2024 NBA free agency begins its first full day.
The Pistons had the most remaining cap space in the NBA entering Monday afternoon at about $51 million, but they could be looking to pick up players on inflated contracts in exchange for cap relief and/or Draft capital, as they did on Friday to acquire Tim Hardaway Jr. from Dallas.
Paul George was the biggest domino to fall, agreeing to a four-year, $212 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday morning.
On Sunday night, the Free Press confirmed that the Pistons were in talks with Cade Cunningham about a five-year, $226-max rookie contract extension. The No. 1 overall pick in 2021 cannot be signed to a deal until Saturday at 12:01 p.m., when the NBA’s free agency moratorium ends.
Pistons make free agent move with Tobias Harris
The Pistons finally made their first move as free agents before brunch on Monday by agreeing to former Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris on a two-year, fully guaranteed $52 million contract.
Harris returns to the Pistons after spending parts of three seasons in Detroit, from 2016 to 2018, under president/coach Stan Van Gundy, before being traded in the blockbuster deal for Blake Griffin.
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Harris, who will turn 32 in two weeks, averaged 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and shot 48.7% from the field (53.7% on three-pointers and 35.3% on three-pointers in 3.7 attempts per game) last season for the Philadelphia 76ers in 70 starts. . He’s durable and can score and defend one-on-one, and gives the Pistons a playable veteran they desperately need. But he also has glaring holes (slow decision-making, reluctant 3-point shooter, poor off-ball defensive awareness, zero charges in five and a half seasons in Philadelphia) and tends to disappear too often if he doesn’t get his touches. But he should hold the floor for a Pistons team coming off the worst season in franchise history at 14-68. —Marlowe alter
Who is off the Pistons board?
C Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder
New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein rebounds against Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin during the second half of Game 5 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 14, 2024.”>
Named by Free Press sportswriter Omari Sankofa II as one of two realistic free-agent pieces who would be transformational for the Pistons (the other being Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), Hartenstein is a huge acquisition for the Thunder on a reported three-year, $87 million contract ($29 million per year), too expensive for the Pistons’ blood with second-year center Jalen Duren as their starting center.
G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Orlando Magic
He agreed to a three-year, $66 million contract (player option in the final year), moving west from the Denver Nuggets to the Magic Kingdom.
F Derrick Jones Jr. to LA Clippers
Dallas Mavericks loses control of the ball against the Boston Celtics.”>
The key starter for the NBA finalist Dallas Mavericks is moving west to fill the giant void left by George, agreeing to a three-year, $30 million contract with the Clippers, who enter Year 1 of a rebranding in their debut season at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Forward Naji Marshall leaves for the Dallas Mavericks
The former undrafted free agent of the New Orleans Pelicans agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract with the NBA runner-up Mavs to replace Jones.
G/F Kelly Oubre Jr. re-signs with Philadelphia 76ers
The athletic, rim-pressing forward returns to the 76ers on a two-year, $16.3 million contract, with a player option in the season year.
PF/C Jalen Smith to the Chicago Bulls
The third big man for the conference finalist Indiana Pacers has agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract with the Bulls, replacing free agent reserve Andre Drummond, who is returning to Philadelphia.
Who’s still on the Pistons board?
Rim protection has been a weakness for the Pistons, along with three-point shooting. Here are a handful of realistic free agents who make sense at different levels and are still on the market.
SG Malik Beasley, Milwaukee Bucks
Beasley, 27, has a 38.5% 3-point shooting percentage and is the high-volume shooter the Pistons desperately need. He averaged 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 41.3% from 3-point range in 29.6 minutes last season.
SG Gary Harris, Orlando Magic
Harris, 29, has been good on both ends of the court since college, where he spent two seasons at Michigan State, but has declined in recent seasons and has had to deal with injuries. Last season he averaged 6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists on 44.1% shooting overall and 37.1% on 3-pointers while starting 27 of 54 appearances and all six playoff games. who played during the second round against Cleveland.
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SG Buddy Hield, Philadelphia 76ers
It was a bit of a sluggish season for the 31-year-old Hield, who shot 38.6 percent from 3-point range and had 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 25.7 minutes per game over 84 games between Indiana and Philadelphia. He has made 40 percent of his 3s in eight seasons as a relentless shooter who opened up a ton of space for Cunningham. His stock plummeted with his poor playoff showing with the 76ers.
SG De’Anthony Melton, Philadelphia 76ers
Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Jan. 10, 2024.”>
A back injury (stress response to the lumbar spine) limited Melton to 38 games last season and caused several setbacks. Melton, 26, is one of the league’s most disruptive perimeter defenders and a strong rebounder despite his 6-3, 200-pound frame, but he plays bigger because of a 6-8 wingspan. He’s a good 3-point shooter at 38.3% over the past four seasons. He averaged 11.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.6 steals and 36% from 3 in 26.9 minutes.
C Goga Bitadze, Orlando Magic
His minutes were limited last season on a Magic team at the center position, but Bitadze, 24, is quietly one of the league’s best rim protectors and should play a larger role. He averaged five points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 blocks in 15.4 minutes per game last season.
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F Kyle Anderson, Minnesota Timberwolves
Anderson is a lithe 6-9, 230-pounder who checks a lot of boxes as a power forward outside of 3-point shooting. “Slo-Mo” is a skilled defender and rebounder who reads the court like a point guard and would address several areas of need for the young Pistons. But adding another non-shooting threat, barring another trade, doesn’t make much sense. He averaged 6.4 points, 4.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 46% shooting overall, 22.9% from 3 in 22.6 minutes per game for the West finalists.
Free Press Sports Editor Omari Sankofa II contributed to this report.
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