After signing Justin Harper to a 10-day contract on February 24, the team signed Harper to a second 10-day contract on Friday, according to Keith Langlois of True Blue Pistons

Harper averaged 14.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 34 games with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League this season. He knocked down 88.5 percent of his free throws and 48.5 percent of all shots from the field. 

The move makes sense because Anthony Tolliver is still dealing with a knee injury and will likely miss six more games, as David Mayo of MLive reports. The earliest Tolliver would return is March 16.

In his absence, Tobias Harris has set off a spark in the starting lineup fulfilling his role. On February 28, Harper added nine points and one rebound on 3-of-5 shooting beyond the arc in 16 minutes of play. The 26-year-old, however, did not play in the next game due to a coaches decision. The Pistons have players to fill the need without Tolliver and resigning Harper to another 10-day contract will make it even easier to live life without Tolliver. 

The second round pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2011 NBA Draft is averaging 2.5 points, 0.0 assists and 0.3 rebounds across 8.5 minutes per game through four games with Detroit. Harper played 14 games for the Orlando Magic in 2011-2012, his only other NBA stint, In 6.0 minutes per game, he averaged 1.4 points, 0.1 assists and 0.9 rebounds per game. Harper will have to step up his play if he wants Detroit, or another team, to recognize his skill and sign the forward to a one-year deal. 

Harper has played for SIG Strasbourg (2011), Orlando Magic (2011-2012), D-League Idaho Stampede (2012-2013), Hapoel Tel Aviv (2014-2015), D-League Los Angeles D-Fenders (2015-2016) and the Pistons (2016-present) across his career. 

In 2011, the 6-foot-10, 225 pound forward played for SIG Strasbourg in France because of the NBA lockout. On December 9, 2011, he signed a deal with the Magic and on October 27, 2012, he was waived. 

The NBA D-League All Star and former First-team All-Atlantic 10 in college has struggled to pan out in the NBA, but has been making a difference in other parts of the world like France, Israel and Italy. Hopefully, another 10-day contract will lead to an even bigger and better deal for Harper. 

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About the author
Evan Petzold
Evan Petzold is a Detroit-based journalist with expertise in covering the Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings. A member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) and Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DBSA), he brings a unique skill set in reporting and broadcasting to the table.