Perfect Lakers Backup Center is Now Available
The Los Angeles Lakers have been up and down through a third of the regular season. Los Angeles is 14-12 on the year and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 116-110 on Sunday.
They were able to get LeBron James back in the fold after he missed three games. While that was great to see, a frontcourt addition became available on Saturday.
The Detroit Pistons are waiving center Paul Reed, sources tell ESPN. In 12 games, Reed has averaged 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in 10 minutes. The move was made to give Detroit roster and salary flexibility with the NBA trade deadline less than two months away. pic.twitter.com/93AOdymJXP
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 14, 2024
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Detroit Pistons are waiving center Paul Reed. Across 12 games this season, Reed is averaging 4.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
The DePaul product plays with a ton of energy and owns a soft touch around the rim. He can also be an instinctive defender around the basket.
The Lakers badly need more bodies in the frontcourt. Christian Wood (knee) and Jarred Vanderbilt (feet) have yet to play in a game this season. Jaxson Hayes (ankle) sprained his ankle for the second time in late November and is sidelined for multiple weeks.
That is forcing Anthony Davis to log more minutes at center, putting more wear and tear on his body. Adding a player like Reed should be a discussion for the Lakers. This team isn't good enough to withstand an extended absence from Davis and James.
To make sure they play the majority of games in the regular season, they need to add more playmakers to the frontcourt.
Reed isn't going to move the needle significantly if he is brought in, but beggars can't be choosers. In his career, the 25-year-old averages 5.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and shoots 55% from the field.
Having someone who could come off the bench and give valuable minutes goes a long way. Whether the Lakers add Reed or not, it's clear this team will need to make some moves if they want to be a serious threat this season.
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