Last updated: 9/30/2019
Last updated: 9/30/2019
Last updated: 9/30/2019
2025 Free Agents - Paul Reed
Reed had some real fans coming out of the 2020 draft, as some evaluators had a first round grade on him. However, Reed fell all the way to the 58th pick, but became a steal for the 76ers. Reed was very productive in the G-League in '20-'21, averaging over 22 points and just under 12 rebounds per game en route to winning G-League MVP. He was also pretty efficient, shooting 63% from two and even 44% from three on over three attempts per game (he hasn't been trying to take 3s in the NBA though). He put up almost identical numbers in the '21-'22 season over a 9-game span. Reed started getting more consistent minutes in '22-'23 after playing very few minutes his first two seasons, and has been in the regular rotation for the 76ers as the primary backup center. Reed hasn't lit the world on fire, but looks to have potential as a solid backup center going forward. Reed is slightly undersized for a center at 6'9", but he has a 7'2" wingspan and is athletic, so he has real potential to be a good defender. He may never be an elite rim protector, but he can switch, move laterally on the perimeter, and can be disruptive with blocks and steals. Offensively, he will need to answer some of the questions that he had coming into the draft about his overall feel for the game, but he has shown growth in that area. He finishes pretty well inside and has a really good offensive rebounding rate.
Summary
Reed's $8.4 million salary for 2025-2026 is non-guaranteed, and if he is waived he will become an unrestricted free agent and the Pistons will have no form of Bird rights on him. If he is waived, teams could claim him off waivers, but would need to fit his salary within cap space or an exception to do so. If Reed becomes a free agent, other teams will have multiple ways to sign him as even teams without cap space could use any of the Non-Taxpayer MLE, Room MLE, or possibly even the Taxpayer MLE or Bi-Annual Exception to sign him. If Reed is waived and clears waivers, his value may have dropped low enough that he would only have offers for the minimum.
Cap Considerations
Mo Bamba (1 year minimum, 2024), Drew Eubanks (2-1 years, $10 million, 2024) Charles Bassey (1 year minimum, 2024)