Detroit creates some flexibility by waiving center Reed

PISTONS

Detroit Pistons’ center Paul Reed, left, collides with New York Knicks center Ariel Hukporti during a Nov. 1 game. The Pistons recently waived Reed after acquiring him last summer. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

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By Coty M. Davis

The Detroit News

The Detroit Pistons waived center Paul Reed on Saturday afternoon, ESPN was the first to report. The Pistons have since made the move official. They added that the Pistons’ decision to waive Reed gives them more flexibility ahead of the league’s trade deadline on Feb. 6.

The Pistons now have two open roster spots and are currently under the league’s required salary cap by moving on from Reed’s $7.8 million contract. Reed’s contract was set to become fully guaranteed on Jan. 10, per Spotrac.

The NBA trade season begins on Sunday. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff and president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon are constantly discussing how to evaluate and improve the team.

“He and I talk every day,” Bickerstaff said. “The conversations are always big picture conversations of what we’re learning, what positions we need to see guys in, so that we can learn from those things, individually, as a team as we build the foundation offensively, defensively, all those things.

“This isn’t a thing that 25 or 26 games is going to tell you. This is something that is going to be a season-long thing because there are so many things that can happen that we need to be able to see and evaluate.”

Reed joined the Pistons after the Philadelphia 76ers waived him in July.

He averaged 4.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in 12 games. Reed had his best performance during the Pistons’ 108-107 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 6. He scored 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting, to go along with two steals and a block at Spectrum Center.

Injury update on Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris

The Pistons dealt with a pair of injuries in Thursday’s loss to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Jalen Duren was a late scratch due to a right wrist sprain. Late in the third quarter, Tobias Harris left the game due to a hand injury.

Duren and Harris attended practice Saturday afternoon at the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center. Bickerstaff revealed that both players are “recovering.” However, there is no update on their availability for Monday’s contest against the Miami Heat at Little Caesars Arena.