NBA News: Detroit Pistons Reunite With Paul Reed

Detroit Pistons re-sign former G-League MVP after waiving him.

Dec 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) shoots over Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Over the weekend, the Detroit Pistons have made multiple moves ahead of "trade season" in the NBA. Shortly after waiving a player, they've decided to bring them back.

On Saturday evening, the Pistons announced that they waived forward/center Paul Reed. In order to be above the salary floor before the league's deadline, the front office inked Javante McCoy to a minimum contract.

Reed's time on the free-agent market did not last long, as the Pistons announced Monday evening that they've signed him to a new contract. They originally acquired the former G-League MVP in the offseason after he was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers. Reed has appeared in 12 games for Detroit so far this season, averaging 4.8 PPG and 1.9 RPG.

The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has re-signed forward/center Paul Reed.

— Pistons PR (@Pistons_PR) December 16, 2024

Since the re-signing became official, analysts have provided some insight as to why the Pistons decided to waive Reed just to re-sign him. Under his new contract, he is at a lower salary point. This gives the front office even more financial flexibility in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline.

I'll attempt to explain the Detroit Pistons situation:

🏀Detroit didn't want Paul Reed at $7.7M, because the per day charge ($44,385) was eating into their potential cap space rapidly.

🏀Detroit waived Paul Reed to get off that bigger salary (~$2.5M in dead money for Reed),…

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) December 16, 2024

As the third string center on the roster, there is no telling if Reed will survive on the roster for the rest of the season. After starting the year ahead of expectations, Trajan Langdon could seek upgrades in hopes of making a playoff push.

Now back in Detroit, Reed will slot back in behind Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart on the depth chart. When given the chance to play, he's shown flahses of being a productive piece in a backup role. Reed's best outing with the Pistons thus far came against the Charlotte Hornets when Duren was forced to exit early due to an injury. Thrown in the mix on the fly, he recorded 13 points off the bench in 12 minutes of action.