The Philadelphia 76ers could have an opportunity on their hands.
After ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Detroit Pistons had waived ex-Sixer Paul Reed, the possibility of a potential Sixers reunion opened up. However, that appears not to be the case. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported on The Stein Line that a reunion between Reed and the Sixers won’t happen. For now, at least.
“Sources also say that Philadelphia maintains an affinity for Reed — revered as Bball Paul during his four-season stint with the 76ers — but the current expectation is that the Sixers would not pursue a reunion with Reed until after the Feb. 6 trade deadline. (Which means, obviously, that Reed would also have to still be available.),” they wrote.
Reed isn’t as needed as he was during his last season with the Sixers. With Joel Embiid hurt, the Sixers have mostly depended on Andre Drummond as their backup center and fill-in starter.
Reading the tea leaves on this one, it sounds like Joel Embiid’s latest injury isn’t too much to worry about because if it were, the Sixers would try to bring Reed back to fill the void if Embiid was expected to be out long-term.
Reed could join a Sixers rival
It’s not the end of the world that Reed may not rejoin the Sixers for now. However, a problem could arise if he joins one of the Sixers’ rivals, who have the exact same aspirations as them.
Teams like the New York Knicks could try to bring in Reed because they have injury-prone centers like Mitchell Robinson, whom they can’t depend on.
It’s more likely than not that Reed will join a team that will give him playing time he wants. Contenders will likely go after him because he’s a serviceable backup. All the more power to him, but this could be a concern for Philadelphia.
MORE SIXERS NEWS: 76ers predicted to reunite with $5.9 million former starter to fill void left by Jared McCain’s injury
