It was a quiet few days for the Detroit Pistons around the 2025 NBA Draft. With the front office's attention entirely turned to free agency and armed only with the No. 37 overall pick, the Pistons didn't have too many different directions to go during the draft. GM Trajan Langdon understandably wants to keep the core together after a successful season and didn't want to rock the boat by giving up assets to move up in the draft.
Still, the Pistons made one move on draft day that signals their intentions this offseason. With the 37th-overall pick, Detroit selected six-foot-four shooting guard out of Tennessee, Chaz Lanier. This likely signals that Tim Hardaway Jr.'s time in Detroit is coming to an end.
Chaz Lanier Could Be the Perfect Tim Hardaway Jr. Replacement in Detroit
Lanier is a 23-year-old shooter who spent five seasons playing college basketball. For his final year, he transferred to Tennessee from North Florida, and averaged 18 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 39.5% accuracy on 8.2 attempts from three. He finished his collegiate career hitting over 40% of his threes, but only averaging 1.2 assists per game, giving an idea of what type of offensive player he is.
The fact that the Pistons drafted an older prospect means that they are expecting Lanier to contribute immediately. If Lanier is a part of the rotation in the 2025-26 season, there is simply no reason to re-sign pending free agent Tim Hardaway Jr.
All the reports out of Detroit so far indicate that the Pistons have a desire to bring back Malik Beasley on a lucrative, multi-year deal. Since Beasley and Lanier are offense-first shooting guards who can't guard multiple positions, THJ becomes too redundant to have in the rotation. The Pistons would be wise to dedicate those resources to a more defensive-minded player or a bigger player.
Trying to replace Hardaway's production with a second-round pick as the veteran shooter ages makes a ton of sense for the Pistons front office. Whether the plan works on the court as well as it does on paper remains to be seen.