Detroit Pistons Acquire Tobias Harris From Orlando Magic, Per Reports
By Zac Snyder
The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic have struck a deal ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, sending Tobias Harris to the Pistons.
According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard, the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic have agreed to a trade that sends Ersan Ilyasova and Brandon Jennings to Orlando with forward Tobias Harris the return piece.
Pistons & Magic are progressing on deal that would send Tobias Harris to Detroit & Brandon Jennings/Ersan Ilyasova to Orlando, I'm told.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 16, 2016
Zach Lowe adds that it doesn’t appear the Pistons will be including any draft picks:
As of now, Detroit is not sending any picks -- or at least any 1sts -- to Orlando in the proposed Tobias Harris deal, sources say.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) February 16, 2016
Harris was discussed as a possible pick up for the Pistons over the summer but he ultimately re-signed in Orlando. Apparently Stan Van Gundy’s interest never waned and he pounced on an opportunity with the Magic falling out of playoff contention.
Van Gundy has indicated that they would only make a move if it made the team better without sacrificing any long-term plans. That’s why a deal for New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson didn’t seem to make sense considering Anderson’s interest in exploring free agency. In Harris, the Pistons get a player in the first year of a four-year deal.
The four-year, $64 million deal is a big one, but with the salary cap on the rise, Van Gundy and the Pistons obviously weren’t scared off. The versatile 6-9, 235 pounder can be a stretch four in Van Gundy’s offense.
Detroit gets athletic 3/4 in Harris who’ll pair nicely w/KCP and Stanley Johnson at both ends—potentially sick shooting/switching combos.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) February 16, 2016
While Harris is an upgrade from Ilyasova, it comes at a money premium and losing Jennings means point guard depth takes a hit in the process. That means a return to the rotation for Steve Blake and perhaps even some minutes for Spencer Dinwiddie. Of course, the trade deadline is still a couple days away so the Pistons could look even more different by the time they return from the All-Star Break on Friday.