National Reaction To Pistons' Trade For Tobias Harris
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
The Pistons weren't making much pre-trade deadline noise, until all of a sudden they did. The team traded away forward Ersan Ilyasova and point guard Brandon Jennings in return for forward Tobias Harris from Orlando. Detroit will take on Harris' 4-year, $64 million contract (which he signed last year).
On a national scale, the move was largely heralded as one that allowed the Pistons to continue building a young core with players who can switch positions. The move freed the Magic to clear some salary cap space on the other end.
With 23-year-old Harris joining the roster, Detroit now has several key, young players - franchise player Andre Drummond (22 years old), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (22), Reggie Jackson (25) and rookie Stanley Johnson (19). That youth and potential were recognized by several national NBA pundits.
I really like this trade for Detroit. Harris is right in the same age range as the rest of Pistons core, and with a declining deal, too.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 16, 2016
Love the Harris deal for Detroit. SVG gets another shooting big, albeit one having a down year. Look for Harris to thrive playing off AD.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) February 16, 2016
Jackson and Harris are signed long term, with Drummond right behind them. What a job SVG has done building an enviable young core in Detroit
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) February 16, 2016
In Yahoo's analysis of the trade, Bobby Marks also wrote that Harris "adds value to Detroit's young core," while also bringing down the cap space the Pistons will have in the offseason.
"Twenty-three years old – he fits the age curve of our core group of guys that we're building with and possesses a versatility to his game," Pistons general manager Jeff Bower said on a conference call after the trade was made official Wednesday. "That flexibility is something that can be very beneficial in today's game."
Will have a writeup soon on the @TheVertical but love how Detroit went shopping now and did not rely on cap space in July.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 16, 2016
A significant praise point for Detroit was Harris' versatility. He's capable of switching among several positions, and will fit in well with a Pistons roster that prides itself on that quality.
Pistons building a team that can switch at least 2-3-4 on D for most of every game.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) February 16, 2016
Liked the move by Detroit to snare Tobias Harris for 2 expirings. He's a gamer. Weird move by Orlando unless a 2nd one is coming.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) February 16, 2016
A couple of the Pistons themselves also took to social media to welcome their new teammate.
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— Andre Drummond (@AndreDrummond) February 17, 2016
Detroit, give a warm welcome from the cold D to @tobias31. Welcome to the squad bro #Pistons #Detroitveverybody
— Reggie Jackson (@Reggie_Jackson) February 16, 2016
Lowe, who used to work for the popular ESPN vertical site, Grantland, wrote a longform piece on Harris back in the summer, examining how people view the forward - is he just a good player on a bad team (the Magic), or does he have the potential for more? It's a deep dive into how Harris' type of player is evaluated, and what he could bring to a team moving forward.