3 Pistons Who Won't Be Back Next Season

The Detroit Pistons finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference this season. But their playoff run was... interesting, to say the least. The Pistons had to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the first round against the Orlando Magic just to squeak by them in 7 games. 

They had to come back from a 3-2 deficit to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round to force a Game 7, only to be blown out by 31 points in the decisive match. 

The team obviously made huge strides this season to put themselves in the conversation for Eastern dominance, but changes to the roster will be coming this summer.

With that, we look at three Pistons who likely won't be back next season.

Tobias Harris

If Tobias Harris is your No. 2 weapon in a playoff series, it's safe to say that you aren't a serious contender. That was the case for Harris and the Pistons, and the team needs to find a better answer as a second scorer. In particular, they need to find more shooting and floor spacing. And while Harris did shoot a decent 36.8% from long range in the regular season, his 29% mark in the playoffs was a disappointment, despite his 18 ppg. 

As an unrestricted free agent, the Pistons say they'd like to bring him back, but certainly at nothing close to the $26.6 million he earned this season. A lot of this depends on how much of a haircut Harris is willing to take. It's more likely that Detroit will look instead to use that money on a more impactful player. 

Caris LeVert

Even more than his pedestrian stats this season (7.4 ppg, 33.3% on threes), the odds of the Pistons moving on from LeVert increase because of the numbers on his contract. "LeVert's $14 million expiring is one of the few trade chips the Pistons have to try and go out and make a serious upgrade this offseason," writes Ian Levy of Fansided.

Kevin Huerter

Huerter used to be a fine floor spacer in this league. But the last two seasons have been a huge disappointment. The 27-year-old hit on just 30.8% of his threes this year, split between the Chicago Bulls and the Pistons, who acquired him at the deadline. He shot a dreadful 29.4% from deep in 25 games with Detroit. 

This continued a trend for Huerter, who also shot just 33.8% last season from beyond the arc. And while he owed a 38% mark from distance in his first six years in the NBA, seeing as that's the one skill that teams bring him in for, he'll need to return to that to earn his keep. He's a free agent, and given that he didn't give the Pistons what they acquired him for, it's highly doubtful they'll look to re-sign him. 

Photo: © Ken Blaze-Imagn Images