The pressure was applied to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday morning as the Utah Jazz are looking to take on the young veteran center, Paul Reed.
At the end of the 2023 playoff run, it was clear that Reed was set to hit the free agency market for the first time in his career. Although Reed would be a restricted free agent, allowing the Sixers to match any offer sheet from another team, Reed’s rising stock was viewed as something that could realistically cause the Sixers to part ways with him if he’s priced out of their range.
Through the first week of free agency, everything was quiet on the Reed front. As the Sixers worked on building their roster for the 2023-2024 season, the idea of retaining Reed was in mind, as the Sixers extended a qualifying offer to the 24-year-old veteran.
On Saturday, the Utah Jazz extended a multi-season offer of their own to Reed. Now, the Sixers are on the clock to make an official decision.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Paul Reed was offered $23 million from the Jazz. Beyond the salary, Utah included some twists. The first season of the contract is fully guaranteed. The two following become guaranteed for over $15 million if Reed’s team advances to the Conference Semifinals next season, according to Wojnarowski.
When Do the Sixers Have to Decide?
The Sixers need to decide whether they will match or not by Sunday at 11:59 PM ET. Once the clock expires on Sunday, Reed would officially become a member of the Utah Jazz if the Sixers decide they are not going to match the contract.
Losing Reed would be a tough blow for the 76ers. Although the front office prepared for this possibility by signing Mo Bamba and bringing back Montrezl Harrell, the Sixers would lose yet, another homegrown talent that continues to develop into a legitimate role player.
Over the last two seasons, Reed had stints as Joel Embiid’s primary backup. Last year, he started in a career-high 69 games, averaging four points, four rebounds, and one block. By the time the playoffs rolled around over the last two seasons, Reed was the go-to guy behind Embiid.
The 2023-2024 season could be a chance for Reed to play backup to Embiid for a full season, as he was the clear-cut winner of the role last year. If he doesn’t get an opportunity to return, Reed would Utah bound, joining a team where he’ll have plenty of opportunities to carve out a steady role for himself.
More must-reads: