Finding quality big men who can make a consistent impact on either side of the floor in the NBA is hard to come by. When the opportunity arises many teams quickly try and land those players because of their potential. Miami Heat center, Willie Reed, is one of those players. He does not possess a scoring prowess like a Karl-Anthony Towns nor a defensive presence like Anthony Davis, but he does offer a set of skills that he can enhance with the right coaching.
Free agency is set to begin on July 1 and according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Reed will decline his player option for the upcoming season and become an unrestricted free agent.
Miami's Willie Reed will decline his player option and become an unrestricted free agent, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) June 1, 2017
He averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last season in minimal minutes and would be a solid contributor to whichever team he decides to sign with. His 6’11” 245-pound body frame can take the pounding most big men take playing in the post. The good thing is that he will not be expected to score more than he should and will mostly be asked to play solid defense and bring constant energy.
While his energy and defensive presence would be a welcomed addition to the Los Angeles Lakers, his fit with the team is not the most ideal. The team already possesses defensive big men in Tarik Black and Thomas Robinson, so the last thing the Lakers need another defensive-minded big. Although he would not help offensively, a team willingly to take the time to develop him might take the chance on signing him this summer.
