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With all the Philadelphia 76ers trade rumors over the past few weeks, the one word that always comes up is “reunion.”

After ESPN’s Shams Charania reported it’s the Miami Heat listening to trade talks about Jimmy Butler, who reunited him with the Sixers has been raised.

And now another possible reunion could happen. Charania reported that the Detroit Pistons have done so waived former Sixers center Paul Reed.

Reed was a fan favorite during his time with the Sixers. He played so well as Joel Embiid’s backup that he was nicknamed “Bball Paul.”

The Sixers waived him this offseason, not because they were dissatisfied with his performance, but because they wanted to open up the cap room needed to add players like Paul George and Caleb Martin.

The Sixers can legally reunite with Reed

Anyone with a basic understanding of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement might think Reed can’t return to the Sixers for a year because they waived him.

However, that rule only applies to players who are traded. That doesn’t include what the Sixers did with Reed, so that means they can bring him back if he clears waivers.

Reed didn’t have the best performance with the Pistons. In 12 matches, he averaged 4.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.8 steals while shooting nearly 54% from the field. Still, it would be hard to see why he wouldn’t have much of a market if and when he becomes a free agent.

Because of his familiarity with the Sixers, he makes sense as a potential target. With Joel Embiid until further noticeReed would be a valuable placeholder until he returns.

The only problem is he may not want to compete with Andre Drummond for backup center minutes. However, if the Sixers were to part ways with Drummond again before the trade deadline, Reed would have the opportunity to get his old job back in Philadelphia.

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