One major issue the Philadelphia 76ers have had over the years revolves around the minutes where Joel Embiid is on the bench. Few, if any, players have managed to fill that role better than Paul Reed, the 2020 second-round NBA Draft selection who has endeared himself to Sixers fans and earned a spot in the rotation with his seemingly endless motor and his ability to impact games on the defensive end of the floor.
Despite that, Reed’s largely held a reserve role in Philly, which makes him an interesting player in restricted free agency, because interested teams would need to determine if they believe Reed’s success as Embiid’s backup could turn into a larger role. The Utah Jazz appear willing to make that bet, and on Saturday morning, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN brought word that Reed agreed to an offer sheet worth $23 million over three years with Utah.
Philadelphia 76ers restricted free agent F Paul Reed Jr., has signed a three-year, $23M offer sheet with the Utah Jazz, his agent Ron Shade of Octagon Basketball tells ESPN. Sixers have until Sunday at 11:59 PM ET to match sheet and retain Reed. pic.twitter.com/0OTh1W1iPe
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 8, 2023
One of the terms of the offer sheet provides a unique twist: The first season of the contract is fully guaranteed and the two following become guaranteed for $15.7 million if Reed’s team advances to conference semi-finals in the 2023-24 season, sources said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 8, 2023
After appearing in 64 games during his first two years in the NBA, Reed became a far more consistent member of Philadelphia’s rotation during his third year in the league. The No. 58 pick out of DePaul appeared in 69 games with a pair of starts last regular season, and was inserted into the starting lineup twice during the playoffs when Embiid was sidelined with an injury. Reed averaged 4.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 10.9 minutes per game last season.
As Wojnarowski noted, the Sixers have until Sunday night to match the deal and bring Reed back.