Report: Pistons to claim Paul Reed off waivers

The 6-foot-9 big man was recently waived by the Philadelphia 76ers after four seasons, where he appeared in all 82 games last year.

The Detroit Pistons hit the waiver wire, claiming 6-foot-9 forward/center Paul Reed, according to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic .

Reed was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers on July 6. Reed averaged 5.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game over his four seasons in Philly. Last season, he played in all 82 regular season games, including 24 starts, where he put up 7.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game, which were all career-highs.

The Sixers had to part ways with Reed to create cap room for other signings, which saved the team $7.7 million next season. Reed’s salary was non-guaranteed for the 2024-25 season. Philadelphia matched a three-year, $23 million offer sheet that Reed signed with the Utah Jazz last offseason as a restricted free agent. Now, Reed enters the second-year of that $23 million deal.

The Pistons decided to claim Reed off waivers instead of letting him become a free agent. He brings frontcourt depth to Detroit, which was an offseason need along with shooting, which was addressed with the acquisitions of Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley.

Reed is just 25 years old and can slide into the Pistons’ big man rotation alongside Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, assuming both remain on the roster barring any potential offseason trades. Reed still has room to improve, but has shown both the effort and defensive chops to make an impact in Detroit immediately. He also limited fouls while playing increased minutes last season. Maybe most importantly, he’s missed just 13 games over the past two seasons combined, providing availability which appears of utmost importance to new President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon based on other moves.

Where do you see Reed fitting into the Pistons’ rotation and how do you feel overall about BBall Paul in Detroit?