Elijah Harkless Opens Pistons Tenure in a Limited Role After Modest Utah Season
Elijah Harkless is now with the Detroit Pistons for the 2026-27 season, wearing No. 94, after a season with Utah in which he appeared in 26 games. He has played sparingly through Detroit's first four games and is not on the injury report.
By the Pistons Nightly Desk · updated 4 d ago01The story of the nightWho Is Elijah HarklessHarkless is a 6-3, 195-pound guard entering his third NBA season, with two years of experience already on his resume.
Harkless is a 6-3, 195-pound guard entering his third NBA season, with two years of experience already on his resume. He's 26 years old and played his college ball at UNLV before turning pro. This season he's listed on Detroit's roster wearing No. 94. He arrives in Detroit as a depth piece in the backcourt, the kind of player teams lean on for spot minutes rather than a featured role. His track record so far is thin, which puts extra weight on whatever chances he gets with the Pistons early in 2026-27.
02A Modest Season With UtahLast season, in 2025-26, Harkless appeared in 26 games for Utah, averaging 21.0 minutes a night.
Last season, in 2025-26, Harkless appeared in 26 games for Utah, averaging 21.0 minutes a night. He put up 6.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.2 blocks per game, with 1.0 turnovers. His shooting was a struggle: 33.5% from the field, 23.9% from three-point range and 76.6% from the foul line, for a true shooting mark of 47.1%. His usage rate sat at 16.2%, and his plus-minus was -1.3, signaling a team that was often better off without him on the floor statistically, even as he logged real minutes in the rotation.
03Early Minutes in DetroitHarkless has played in each of Detroit's first four games this season.
Harkless has played in each of Detroit's first four games this season. He scored 7 points in 6.8 minutes in a win over Toronto on Oct. 16, his best outing so far. Against Minnesota on Oct. 14, a Detroit win, he went scoreless in 7.0 minutes. In a loss to Washington on Oct. 10, he had 1 point, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in 13.1 minutes, his heaviest workload of the young season. He didn't see the floor at all against Phoenix on Oct. 5 despite the Pistons winning that game. The early pattern points to a bench role still finding its shape.
04A Heavier Workload Late Last SeasonHarkless closed out the 2025-26 season with Utah playing much bigger minutes than he's seeing now in Detroit.
Harkless closed out the 2025-26 season with Utah playing much bigger minutes than he's seeing now in Detroit. In a six-game stretch in March 2026, he logged 26.9, 41.2, 29.5, 32.1, 35.6 and 34.5 minutes. Production rose with the playing time: 4 points against Phoenix, 11 against Denver, 10 against Washington, 9 against Toronto, 15 against Philadelphia and 23 points with 10 assists in a win over Milwaukee. That Milwaukee game was his standout performance of the stretch, pairing a season-high scoring output with his high in assists. Most of those games were losses for Utah, but they showed Harkless could handle a starter's workload when called on.
05Injury ReportHarkless is not on the injury report.
Harkless is not on the injury report. There's no injury history listed for him, which lines up with the fact that he's been available for all four of Detroit's games so far this season. Health isn't the reason behind his limited minutes early on; it's a matter of where he fits in the rotation on a new team.
Ellis6.7 ppg
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