THE Detroit Pistons They did not make any major roster changes ahead of the 2024–25 NBA season, but they did undergo a slight overhaul with some new additions.
Tobias Harris was signed on a two-year deal via free agency. Tim Hardaway was traded to Detroit from the Dallas Mavericks. The Pistons also played the waiver card, acquiring Paul Reed, who was released by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Reed was recently called the Pistons’ “best kept secret” by Bleacher Report Grant Hughes.
“Because Reed, now with the Pistons after being released by the Philadelphia 76ers, is a mobile, block-heavy defender who is considered one of the most prolific stealers of the last four years,” Hughes wrote. “The 25-year-old’s lowest steal rate among big men since joining the league: 85th last season. … In addition to ending opponents’ possessions, Reed extends his own possessions. There aren’t many better offensive rebounders in the game today.”
It’s unclear what role Reed might play in his new situation with the Pistons. While he spent his first four NBA seasons as a backup center to Joel Embiid, the veteran has shown enough versatility to share the floor with another big man, playing power forward.
The Sixers had planned to experiment with Reed as a four last season, but Philly’s lack of depth at center left Reed as Embiid’s primary backup throughout the year.
Last year, Reed played in a career-high 82 games. He averaged 19 minutes of playing time. In a career-high 19 minutes of playing time, Reed produced seven points and six rebounds per game. He was efficient from the field, shooting 54 percent of his shots. While he didn’t attempt three-pointers often, he made 37 percent of his three-pointers, which leaves some room for the idea that Reed could become a four-point player.
But beyond the hypotheticals, Reed is a productive, proven rebounder in limited time. He may not be a starter in Detroit, but the state of the Pistons should allow Reed to increase his workload. The signing of a released Reed has gone a bit under the radar after a busy start to the summer for the Pistons. He could end up being a top signing for Detroit.
