Paul Reed set to become a restricted free agent after Sixers extend qualifying offer

In their first roster move following the NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers are set to extend a qualifying offer to backup center Paul Reed. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype first reported the news.

Reed, who replaced Montrezl Harrell as the team’s primary backup center during the back half of the season this year, is set to become a free agent on Friday. The qualifying offer means that, while he’s able to explore the market as a restricted free agent, the Sixers will be able to match any offer made by another team.

There’s good reason to believe that teams will have interest in Paul Reed. The 24-year-old put up career numbers this past season, averaging 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per night across 69 games. He fared even better in the playoffs, at 4.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game across 11 games. Add in his signature defensive energy and notably improved ball control, and he’s a nice candidate for a bench player at either the 4 or the 5.

That said, the Sixers’ qualifying offer demonstrates their interest in retaining Reed, and under new head coach Nick Nurse, he could see his role continue to expand. While Paul Reed’s name most likely won’t be in the headlines immediately following the start of free agency this Friday at 6 pm ET, he’s clearly someone Sixers fans – and everyone – should keep an eye on.