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Detroit Pistons Offseason Addition Shares Motivation for Next Season

Detroit Pistons center Paul Reed is eager to prove his doubters wrong.
Justin Grasso|
Jan 8, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) is defended by Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul Reed (44) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Jan 8, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) is defended by Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul Reed (44) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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Detroit Pistons

These days, Detroit Pistons veteran Paul Reed might be feeling slighted.

Last summer, the young center inked the biggest contract of his NBA career after an impressive showing as a backup center during the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

This time around, Reed was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Fortunately for Reed, he didn’t lose hold of the contract he garnered last year. After receiving a three-year offer sheet from the Utah Jazz worth over $20 million, Reed saw the Sixers match it. However, the deal was only partially guaranteed.

If the Sixers found a way to defeat the New York Knicks during the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Reed’s salary beyond the first season on the contract would’ve been guaranteed. Since the Sixers came up short, they had an opportunity to part ways without hurting them financially.

Since the Sixers reunited with the former Pistons All-Star Andre Drummond in free agency, they decided to move on from Reed. Liking what they’ve seen out of Reed in the past, the Pistons took advantage of his availability on the waiver wire and put in a claim.

Going into year one in Detroit, Reed is motivated to prove his doubters wrong.

Since entering the NBA out of DePaul in 2020, Reed has had a chip on his shoulder. Following his three-year run in college, Reed entered the NBA Draft. A double-double average at DePaul didn’t get Reed on any team’s radar for the first round.

Instead, the veteran frontcourt player dropped to the 58th overall pick. When the Sixers selected Reed, they locked him in with a two-way deal. After a strong showing in the G League, Reed earned himself a standard NBA contract.

At this point, Reed has 215 games under his belt. Last season, he was the primary to Joel Embiid on the Sixers. The young veteran averaged seven points and six rebounds while seeing the court for an average of 19 minutes per game.

It’s unclear what the Pistons have in store for Reed, but the 25-year-old is clearly motivated to get in the rotation and help make an impact in Detroit.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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