Getty Paul Reed of the Philadelphia 76ers
After the Utah Jazz signed Philadelphia 76ers fan favorite Paul Reed to an offer sheet, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Sixers have decided to match the offer sheet.
“The 76ers are matching Paul Reed’s three-year, $23M offer sheet with the Jazz, sources tell ESPN. Per sheet’s terms, Sixers must guarantee last two years of Reed’s deal if they win the opening round of playoffs this season,” Wojnarowski wrote via his personal Twitter.
The 76ers are matching Paul Reed’s three-year, $23M offer sheet with the Jazz, sources tell ESPN. Per sheet’s terms, Sixers must guarantee last two years of Reed’s deal if they win the opening round of playoffs this season.
Sixers’ President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey seemingly expressed his happiness to keep Reed on his personal Twitter following the announcement.
Tyrese Maxey did not hold back his excitement to have his teammate back for the next three years on his personal Twitter.
Maxey followed that up by making a joke by asking Reed if he’ll have to pay for a hoodie.
Do I still have to pay for a hoodie bro? @Bball_paul 👀🤣
Reed had himself a breakout campaign for the Sixers during the 2022-23 season, averaging 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 59.3% from the field in 69 games for the Sixers. His play was impressive enough that he eventually became Joel Embiid’s backup over Montrezl Harrell.
Now he’ll have to compete for the spot again and not just with Harrell, but with Mo Bamba, who finished last season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Details of Paul Reed’s New Deal
When the Jazz first signed Reed to the offer sheet, Wojnarowski revealed some of the distinctive details about what they had agreed to.
“One term of the offer sheet contains a unique twist: The first season of the contract is fully guaranteed, while the following two seasons become guaranteed if Reed’s team advances to the conference semifinals in 2023-24, sources said. Given where the two franchises stand, it is more likely the Sixers would have to guarantee the $15.7 million total for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons than the Jazz,” Wojnarowski wrote.
He then added what would happen to the Sixers’ payroll if they decide to match the offer.
“If the 76ers match the offer sheet, they would exceed the $165 million luxury tax threshold and incur an additional $14 million in luxury tax penalties. Reed would have veto power on trades for a year if he remains in Philadelphia.”
Clearly, that did not phase the Sixers one bit, as they matched the sheet, giving them three backup centers behind Embiid.
Joel Embiid’s Thoughts on James Harden’s Trade Request
While talking with Rachel Nichols, Embiid gave his thoughts on James Harden’s trade request. He admitted that he was disappointed but said that he knows that it’s nothing personal.
“I understand. It’s business. People make decisions, and I’m more appreciative of the way he’s handled the whole situation. We’re going to be boys forever,” Embiid said.
Embiid later explained why he would prefer Harden to return to the Sixers but said they will still be close no matter what happens.
“(I) want him to come back, obviously, so we can go out and accomplish what we want, which is to win a championship, so hopefully that his mindset can be changed. But, other than that, I’m just so happy to be his friend. We’re close, and we’ve grown since he got here. I’m excited to keep that for the rest of our lives.”
Spoke to Joel Embiid about James Harden’s trade request – Embiid said he’s hopeful Harden’s “mindset can be changed.” The two were partying with @MichaelRubin last night at the @Fanatics/@TheNBPA Summer League blowout.