Detroit Pistons Officially Move on From Veteran Center

The Detroit Pistons' decision to waive Paul Reed is official.

Dec 3, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) shoots the ball over Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) in the fourth quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

As of Sunday morning, Paul Reed is on the NBA’s waiver wire. If he goes unclaimed, the veteran center will become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.

The first time Reed hit waivers, the Detroit Pistons picked him up. That was back in the summer, after Reed’s time with the Philadelphia 76ers expectedly came to an end.

Detroit’s decision to scoop up Reed made sense from a depth standpoint. While Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart weren’t in danger of losing playing time, Reed’s experience was great to have around for the Pistons, who were looking to turn a corner after a 14-win year.

Paul Reed during his tenure with the Pistons. — Nov 10, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) has the ball knocked away from him by Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) while driving to the basket in the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Being that Reed’s salary wasn’t guaranteed up until January, Detroit was expected to move on from him at some point. The decision to do so as early as mid-December shocked many.

At this point, the Pistons have to add at least one more player to reach the salary floor. Considering Reed’s departure helped create a second open space on the roster, there has been curiosity regarding a potential trade. So far, the Pistons haven’t shown their hand.

The Detroit Pistons waiver of Paul Reed was made official today.

So, the Pistons will have one day to sign a player, or acquire a player via trade, to get back over the salary floor.

That means another transaction of some sort is coming from Detroit tomorrow.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) December 15, 2024

Reed leaves Detroit after appearing in 12 games. While spending ten minutes on the court per game, Reed averaged five points and two rebounds while making 54 percent of his field goals and 36 percent of his threes.

If a team claims Reed, they pick up where the Pistons left off with his $7.7 million deal. If he goes unclaimed, Reed would be in search of a new deal.

The 25-year-old veteran has enough experience to intrigue another team. Throughout his two seasons before his run in Detroit, Reed averaged six points and five rebounds while seeing the court for an average of 15 minutes in 151 games. He also has 32 playoff appearances under his belt.