Free Agency Frenzy, Simone Fontecchio, and Being Better | The Weekly Drive
Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley aren't sexy names, but they will make the Pistons better next season. And that's the goal.
Good morning everyone, and welcome back to the Palace of Pistons Weekly Drive. Hopefully, you are well-rested from the holiday weekend. NBA free agency rolls on while the Summer League starts up in Sacramento. As always, let’s get into it.
Free Agency Roundup
Mere minutes after hitting publish on last week’s Weekly Drive, the Detroit Pistons signed Tobias Harris to a two-year $52 million deal according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Harris had been with the Philadelphia 76ers since 2019, appearing in 70 or more games in four of the past five seasons.
Pistons fans may be wondering why they just ponied up $26 million a year for Harris, who hasn’t averaged more than 20 points per game since 2018-2019. The simplest answer? He immediately provides the roster with stability and shooting, two things that have evaded the Pistons for a half-decade.
Early Saturday morning, Detroit reportedly came to a one year, $6 million agreement with Malik Beasley (per Shams Charania of The Athletic). Beasley shot 41.3% from three-point territory last season with Milwaukee and figures to be an integral part of the Pistons’ rotation.
Later on in the evening, Simone Fontecchio re-signed with the Pistons per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski for an excellent value of two years and $16 million. That’s a bargain of a deal for Detroit, which now positions itself to have quite a good chunk of cap space in two years. With Harris’ and Fontecchio’s deals expiring in the same offseason, the Pistons should have ample room to sign some high-end free agents.
Setting the Record Straight
There was some hubbub on X, the artist formally known as Twitter, regarding the Pistons’ acquisitions being castaways and low-impact players. The kerfuffle was started by me, and I stand by my statement: Detroit will be a vastly improved team simply by employing real NBA-level players.
Killian Hayes isn’t in the NBA and was cut by his own country’s national team.
Joe Harris is out of the league too.
James Wiseman signed a veteran minimum to eat up garbage time minutes. Isaiah Livers hasn’t set foot on an NBA court since January 12th.
Kevin Knox is still a G League player now six years after being drafted 9th overall.
And yet, all of these players were taking up valuable court time or roster space last season in Detroit.
Replacing those guys with the likes of Harris, Beasley, and Hardaway Jr. will make a big difference. Not a “45-win team” kind of difference, but enough of a difference that the Pistons will look more competent on the court. There will be more shooting, more capable veterans, and actual wing depth. That’s worth something, and it could help double the win total from 14 to 28 in one offseason. Growth must start somewhere.
Other News and Notes
James Wiseman, who spent the last two seasons in Detroit, has reportedly signed with the Indiana Pacers per ESPN.
Stanley Umude, who spent some time with both the Pistons and their G League affiliate the Motor City Cruise, is reportedly signing with the Milwaukee Bucks per The Athletic.
The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly eyeing Isaiah Stewart as a potential replacement for the departed Jonas Valanciunas per Yahoo Sports.
Pistons legend Kemba Walker (yes, he was technically on the roster for a minute in 2022), officially announced his retirement from professional basketball.
The University of Alabama reportedly hired Pistons’ assistant Brian Adams, who joined Detroit midway through last season.
Sidney Lowe, who was with J.B. Bickerstaff in Cleveland last season, will reportedly join Detroit’s coaching staff. Lowe also spent time with Dwane Casey when he was the Pistons’ head coach, so it’ll be a homecoming of sorts.
Once again, a lot is happening in the NBA. Important players are changing teams, and more transactions are on the way. The Pistons do still have some cap space remaining, but it is unclear how they will use it. Trajan Langdon may still have some tricks up his sleeve yet. Thanks for reading.
Mike