NBA rumors: Pistons eyeing 76ers' Tobias Harris before trade deadline, but there's a catch

Will the Pistons pull the trigger on a trade for 76ers forward Tobias Harris with a few days to go before the deadline?

The Detroit Pistons, despite being a markedly improved team over the past few weeks (as evidenced by their huge win over the Oklahoma City Thunder back on January 28), remain a bad team. They are assembling a nice young core with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren, but putting the right pieces around those players continue to be a struggle. Thus, it's understandable why the Pistons are interested in adding veteran help, with Tobias Harris' name popping up as a possible trade option for Detroit.

However, a potential Pistons move for Harris may not materialize until after the 2023-24 season is over, if James L. Edwards III of The Athletic's report is any indication. According to Edwards, the Pistons are “more likely to go after Harris in the summer using cap space” because the team “appears to be on the fence about giving up any type of asset for a player it could simply sign this summer”.

This sounds like the smart move for the Pistons brass, especially when draft assets are at a premium for a rebuilding team such as them. Moreover, there could be mutual interest in a move between Tobias Harris and the Pistons anyway, making the chance of success for a potential free-agent pursuit in the summer that much higher.

As Edwards pointed out, Harris, having played for the Pistons franchise for two-and-a half seasons, has maintained “personal connections to Detroit and relationships with several in the front office and coaching staff”. This could end up leading to an eventual reunion.

But Edwards did not shut the door on the possibility that the Philadelphia 76ers could entertain a trade for Tobias Harris in the final year of his huge deal. Harris could net the 76ers a few role players from the Pistons, but is trading away a solid 17-6-3 guy for spare parts the right move for a team that's looking to hold the fort amid Joel Embiid's looming extended absence?

Whatever the case may be, Harris will be such a good fit on the Pistons, as he gives them more size and scoring punch on the wing — a helpful piece as they try to cross the bridge from putridity to competence in the coming seasons.