Miami Heat backup center Willie Reed may have played himself into a monster contract this summer. We break down five cheap candidates to replace him.
Willie Reed of the Miami Heat is far from a household name. But being a known commodity to the casual NBA fan is not a prerequisite for receiving a huge contract in today’s market. Just look at the list of last summer’s deals for proof.
And as such, even a guy like Reed, who put up modest numbers as Hassan Whiteside‘s backup for one season with the Heat, may be due for a payday.
He’s under contract through next year, but would be foolish to exercise his player option, instead heading to free agency. It would only be a matter of time before much larger offers began to roll through.
During his time in Miami, Reed averaged 5.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks. He shot 56.8 percent from the floor and 55.7 percent from the foul stripe, while playing 14.5 minutes per game. All around, numbers that don’t really stand out much.
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However, they are very similar to those of Cole Aldrich, a fellow reserve center from the free agent class of 2016.
Throughout his final season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Aldrich played 13.3 minutes nightly, scoring 5.5 points and securing 4.8 rebounds per contest, almost identical to Reed’s this season.
So what kind of deal did those margins garner him?
One worth three years and $22 million from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Expect Reed to get the same, if not more.
Though he may not be a star, he’s certainly a fine player. And in 2017, fine players get huge contracts. The odds are very much against the Heat retaining his services this offseason.
So to get ourselves prepared for the inevitability, let’s look at five impending free agent centers who could fill the void left behind by Reed.