Former target of the Utah Jazz, Paul Reed, says he was surprised the Philadelphia 76ers matched contract

Paul Reed really thought he’d be a member of the Utah Jazz.

The Utah Jazz had high hopes for Paul Reed. So high that they offered him $23 million over three years. The only problem was that Reed was a restricted free agent for the Philadelphia 76ers, meaning they had the right to match any offer he got.

The only problem was that the 76ers were making moves that would seem to think they were ready to move on from Reed. They re-signed Montrezl Harrell, who plays the same position as Reed (power forward), and then added another big man in former Orlando Magic’s center Mo Bamba.

Those additions made it seem clear to everyone, including Reed, that he may be moving on. The 76ers opted to match the offer, a move that came as a surprise to Reed. Speaking to Sixers Wire, the forward told Ky Carlin that he thought his time in Philly was done;

"I didn’t know what was gonna happen to be honest. I was a restricted free agent, so they had an opportunity to match. Then I seen they signed Trez (Montrezl Harrell) and (Mo) Bamba, my agent was like, it’s probably not likely that they match, but when they matched, I was real surprised."

The 76ers new head coach, former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, thinks Reed could become a Pascal Siakam-type player, one who blooms later in his career than expected. If that’s the case, it makes total sense why the Jazz wanted him. Getting a potential All-Star for less than $10 million a year is a steal.

Granted, Reed still has to develop to become that type of player. And while the Jazz wanted Reed, they ended up getting John Collins, Brice Sensabaugh, and Taylor Hendricks, making it a bit hard to find room for Reed.