With all of the Philadelphia 76ers trade buzz over the last few weeks, the one word that has always popped up is “reunion.”
After ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Miami Heat are listening to trade calls about Jimmy Butler, reuniting him with the Sixers has been brought up.
And now, another potential reunion could happen. Charania reported that the Detroit Pistons have waived former Sixers center Paul Reed.
Reed was a fan favorite during his time with the Sixers. He played so well as Joel Embiid’s backup that he earned the nickname “Bball Paul.”
The Sixers waived him during the offseason not because they were dissatisfied with his performance but because they wanted to open up the cap room necessary to add players like Paul George and Caleb Martin.
The Sixers can legally reunite with Reed
Anyone with basic knowledge of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement may think that Reed can’t return to the Sixers for a year because they waived him.
However, that rule only applies to players who are traded. That doesn’t apply to what the Sixers did with Reed, so that means they can bring him back when he clears waivers.
Reed did not have the best performance with the Pistons. In 12 games, he averaged 4.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.8 steals while shooting nearly 54% from the field. Even so, it’d be hard to see why he wouldn’t have much of a market if and when he becomes a free agent.
Because of his familiarity with the Sixers, he makes sense as a potential target. With Joel Embiid out until further notice, Reed would be a valuable placeholder until he returns.
The one qualm is that he may not want to compete with Andre Drummond for backup center minutes. However, if the Sixers were to part ways with Drummond again before the trade deadline, Reed would have the opportunity to get his old job back in Philadelphia.
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