Miami Heat free agent center Willie Reed to sign with the Clippers
By Wes Goldberg
Miami Heat free agent center Willie Reed was patient throughout the off-season, and he’s signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.
After one season with the Miami Heat, free agent center Willie Reed will sign a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes.
Free agent center Willie Reed has reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Clippers, league sources tell ESPN. One-year, $1.5 million pact.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 18, 2017
Reed’s deal is worth $1.5 million, according to the report, much less than estimates before the offseason in the range of $5 million-plus. It must be disappointing for Reed, who hoped a strong season in Miami would have resulted in a bigger raise.
After signing a $1 million, one-year deal with the Heat last summer, Reed averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game. He spent most of the season coming off the bench behind Hassan Whiteside, providing Miami with rim protection from the second unit.
Miami could have used its $4.3 million exception to re-sign Reed, but Pat Riley had clearly moved on. After selecting Bam Adebayo with the 14th pick in the NBA Draft and signing Kelly Olynyk (not to mention acquiring A.J. Hammons from the Mavericks), Miami doesn’t have much room in its backcourt.
Next: Willie Reed's season in review
LA is a nice spot for Reed to land. He’ll back up DeAndre Jordan much in the same way he did for Whiteside. The Clippers are getting a hard-working center who sets good screens, rolls to the rim for lobs and can credibly protect the rim.