It's been nearly a week since the Detroit Pistons were eliminated by the New York Knicks in the opening round of the 2024-25 NBA playoffs. The Pistons gave fans plenty to be proud of throughout their 44-win campaign, however, the first-round loss has made it clear there is plenty of room for improvement this offseason.
It's going to be an interesting summer in the Motor City, to say the least. Not only will the Pistons be looking to bring in some outside help to improve, but they also have to decide the fate of a handful of pending unrestricted free agents.
Paul Reed's Offseason Stock Has Plummeted After Pistons Elimination
Whether he stays with the Pistons or leaves Detroit as a free agent, there's no question about it: veteran center Paul Reed's stock is down now that his playoff run is over.
Looking to improve their frontcourt depth, the Pistons claimed Reed off waivers last July. The former 2020 second-round pick was coming off a four-year run with the Philadelphia 76ers that saw him average 5.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.8 blocks, and .555/.312/.690 shooting splits in 215 games (28 starts).
It didn't take long for Reed to find out that his role with the Pistons was much smaller than that with the 76ers. The ex-DePaul product went from starting in 24 of his 82 appearances in 2023-24 to playing all 45 of last year's outings off the bench. He averaged 4.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.9 steals, along with a career-worst 50.7 % field-goal percentage.
Once the postseason started, Reed's opportunities continued to decline. The 25-year-old center went from averaging 3.2 FG attempts per game in the regular season to only 1.6 in the playoffs, resulting in 2.8 PPG. Although he did average 3.0 rebounds and a steal per contest, too, his 106 offensive rating per 100 playoff possessions further shows how little he contributed.
Reed was never going to light up the NBA playoffs, it's hard not to be frustrated when a few extra-made baskets could've kept the Pistons in the playoffs. He averaged a minuscule 2.7 PPG in the three postseason losses he was active for, all of which Detroit lost by only one possession.
Reed will still likely garner attention this offseason, however, his playoff performance will likely put a ceiling on the type of offers he will receive. His stock would've been much higher had he helped the Pistons advance to Round 2, leaving time to tell what the future holds for the Orlando native this summer.