The Detroit Pistons have yet to finalize their roster for next season. While they have done most of their offseason work, the Jalen Duren stalemate is still ongoing. Not only do they have to re-sign Duren, but they also have to clear a roster spot for him. This means that there will be at least one departure from the current team, and possibly more. Let's take a look at the prime departure candidates.
Gary Harris
The veteran shooting guard is the most expendable player on the Pistons roster. He was a throw-in from the Bucks in the Caris LeVert trade, and it's difficult to imagine that Detroit values him too highly.
This isn't because Harris is a bad player. In fact, he is a reasonably competent veteran who can shoot the ball and defend at an average level. It's just that the Pistons don't have a use for a player like Harris. Detroit is already crowded in the backcourt. They already have players whose main skill is shooting the ball. Those players are also better than Harris in shooting and other aspects of the game.
Given that the Pistons will need to open up a roster spot to re-sign Jalen Duren, Harris seems like the most obvious candidate to be cut.
Taurean Prince
The veteran small forward would be a reasonable end-of-bench option. He shot over 40% from three in each of the last two seasons. The Pistons lack forward-sized players who can do that. So, if Detroit wanted to hold onto Prince as an emergency backup, it wouldn't be the worst use of resources.
At the same time, this is also not the most inspiring use of a roster spot. Prince is a low-ceiling player who will almost certainly not be in the rotation for the Pistons. Using the roster spot on a younger player who is a little more dynamic on the ball and has some upside would be smarter.
Plus, Detroit could use the salaries of Prince and Harris, attach draft capital, and could try to acquire a potential difference-maker. Alternatively, the 32-year-old forward could be a cut candidate to make room for another free agent signing between now and the start of the season.
Ron Holland
This is significantly less likely than the aforementioned two names on this list. For all intents and purposes, the Pistons don't want to part ways with Holland and have clearly made him a priority this summer.
At the same time, Holland remains one of the only players the Pistons could realistically trade for an upgrade, with Duncan Robinson being the other. Holland makes $9 million next season, is only 20 years old, and should have some trade value around the league. If the opportunity presented itself and, say, a player like Trey Murphy was available on the trade block for the right price, the Pistons would almost certainly have to trade Holland in that deal.
Or, if there was a chance the Pistons could acquire Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade, a package centered around Holland would make a ton of sense. I'm not predicting that this will happen, but if the Pistons were to make a trade, Holland is the most likely matching salary.
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