How Long Do Sixers Have to Decide on Paul Reed's Future?

When do the Sixers need to make a decision on Paul Reed?
How Long Do Sixers Have to Decide on Paul Reed's Future?
How Long Do Sixers Have to Decide on Paul Reed's Future? /

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. 


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA