The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to waive forward-center Paul Reed, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 76ers will waive F/C Paul Reed, whose contract is non-guaranteed for next season, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2024
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The move comes on the heels of the Sixers signing free agent Caleb Martin. Notably, Reed’s salary for 2024-25 is non-guaranteed through Jan. 10. The 25-year-old has two years and $15.8 million remaining on his contract.
Sixers Waiving Paul Reed To Finalize Roster
A former second-round pick, Reed has become a fan favorite since being drafted in 2020. Known as ‘BBall Paul’ among NBA diehards, Reed’s two-way potential is fascinating. In 2019-20, Reed averaged 15.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 1.9 steals per game for DePaul. At 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds, his rebounding average led the Big East, while he ranked second in blocks per game.
Upon landing with the Sixers, he faced an uphill battle to get playing time. Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris’s starting spots were etched in stone, both playing heavy minutes. Behind them were Dwight Howard and Mike Scott. On top of that, former Sixers head coach Doc Rivers was leading the charge. To that point, Rivers is notorious for his tendency to play veterans over younger players.
Nonetheless, Reed managed to break into the rotation during his third season. Embiid and Harris were actually playing more than ever. However, the depth behind them changed. Howard and Scott weren’t on any NBA roster. In their place were Reed and Montrezl Harrell, the 2020 Sixth Man of the Year.
Reed didn’t play much, averaging 10.9 minutes per game. Yet, he was a constant presence, playing a then career-high 69 games.
Taking advantage of his opportunity, Reed averaged 11.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals per game when he played 20-29 minutes. His defense, rebounding, and shooting ability made him look like a legitimate rotation player moving forward.
That appeared to come to fruition in 2023-24, as Reed averaged a career-high 19.4 minutes per game. Consistently showing off nascent playmaking skills, Reed averaged 11.7 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game when playing 20-29 minutes.
He even scored a career-high 30 points against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in late January.
Why Not Trade Him?
With his potential and contract, the Sixers should have been able to trade him. If they were going to waive him anyways, even a light offer could’ve gotten a deal. It may just be the case that Reed doesn’t have much trade value though.
Nonetheless, Reed can now choose from his suitors. Whether or not Sixers president Daryl Morey intends it to be, that could be the best scenario for the Orlando native.
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