Heading into this offseason, the Detroit Pistons are forced to make some tough decisions regarding veteran contributors from last season due to free agency.
While the veteran guards (Malik Beasley, Dennis Schroder and Tim Hardaway Jr) have received more attention, another free agent who contributed last season is Paul Reed. The 26-year-old big man is heading into his sixth season and played solid minutes for the Pistons last year in both the regular season and playoffs.
It leads to a question the Pistons will have to answer this summer.
Should the Detroit Pistons bring back Paul Reed?
Paul Reed isn't going to be the Pistons' top priority this offseason, but he did play an important role for them.
Reed’s value mainly came on the defensive end - the Pistons had a stellar defensive rating of 105.7 in his regular season minutes, which would have beat out even the league-leading Thunder. This trend continued in the playoffs when Reed had to step in for the injured Isaiah Stewart in the last five games of the series with the Knicks. In his minutes against the high-powered Knicks offense, the Pistons had an impressive 92.9 defensive rating. Obviously the sample size was extremely small but Reed undoubtedly makes a positive difference on defense.
On offense Reed was more limited in his role with the Pistons, averaging just 4.1 points per game and primarily serving as a play finisher off of passes from guards. However, in previous seasons he has shown more offensive flashes.
In the 2023-24 season with Philadelphia, “BBall Paul” averaged a career high 7.3 points per game and showed off an impressive handle for a big man. Reed was willing to shoot midrange jumpers at a decent clip, which could help add some extra wrinkles in the Pistons' offense if he can find that touch again. He is also a willing screener and good finisher out of the pick and roll, which can serve him very well playing alongside a guard like Cade Cunningham.
Reed is still relatively young in his NBA career, and I believe he can find some more offensive juice with increased opportunity. It is also important for the Pistons to sign a third big on the roster as Isaiah Stewart deals with his nagging knee injury which kept him out for the majority of the Knicks series and came up multiple times towards the end of the regular season. Reed can definitely fill in Stewart’s role as a defensive specialist and his presence can make it easier for Stewart to recover from his injury while providing insurance.
Last year, Reed was signed to a veteran’s minimum contract and if the Pistons can get him for similar value this season, they should strongly consider it. Reed fits the team culture well as a defense-first player and coach J.B. Bickerstaff has complimented him for his professionalism and mentality.
Although not the most sought-after player, Reed can make tangible impacts for the Pistons in a crucial season.