76ers match Jazz’s offer sheet for Paul Reed
BBall Paul is not coming to Utah.
On Saturday morning, Philadelphia 76ers restricted free agent Paul Reed signed an offer sheet with the Utah Jazz, for a three-year, $24 million contract. But the Sixers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, decided to match the offer roughly 90 minutes before the 9:59 MT deadline to do so.
It was a bit of a surprise for the Sixers to match the offer the Jazz made considering the future financial impact the deal will have on the Sixers. Reed’s new contract will push the team (as currently constructed) over the luxury tax threshold, forcing the team to rack up $14 million in luxury tax penalties.
Additionally, the first year of the deal is fully guaranteed for Reed with the final two years ($15.7 million of the deal) becoming guaranteed if Reed’s team advances to the second round of the playoffs, something the Sixers have done five of the last six seasons.
With their own James Harden-related issues to deal with, and reportedly being interested in getting into the Damian Lillard trade race, the Sixers weren’t expected to be in a position to pay into the luxury tax for a player like Reed. Especially after signing Mo Bamba to a one-year deal and re-signing Montrezl Harrell.
Though, the Jazz didn’t seem like they were in the greatest position to add Reed to their roster either. Bringing on Reed would have created even more of a logjam on the roster in the front court. One of the tallest and longest NBA rosters, the Jazz feature Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Taylor Hendricks, and also currently have Kelly Olynyk and Luka Samanic.
Olynyk’s $12.3 million expiring contract has already been guaranteed for the season and Samanic is on a non-guaranteed deal. During the Salt Lake City Summer League Samanic was having a really impressive run, making the case for himself to stay on the roster as a third three-four option before going out with a knee contusion that kept him sidelined in the Jazz’s Las Vegas Summer League debut on Saturday.
The addition of Reed could have spelled the end for Samanic’s chances, with no logical room for Samanic on the roster.
Leading up to the 2020 draft, I wrote that Reed was someone the Jazz should consider with the 23rd pick, saying:
“Reed has a power forward frame with a center’s reach (7-foot-2 wingspan) and is a blocking and rebounding monster who relishes in being able to deny someone when they think they’re in close range.
Although he’s not the guy you would want to task with guarding some of the craftier wing players, he’s not a sieve when he switches onto smaller players and he isn’t afraid to attack when he sees an opening for a steal. With that in mind, Reed is also incredibly fast on the break for his size and has a really nice soft touch around the rim even when he’s playing in traffic.”
Reed didn’t get too much playing time in his first two seasons with the Sixers, but got more of an opportunity last season, proving himself enough to earn rotation minutes during the playoffs and closing out the season with per-36 averages of 13.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.
Source: Deseret News
