Update: Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago:
Bulls will immediately waive Willie Reed. And have the right to swap second round picks in 2022
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) February 8, 2018
Looks like Reed won’t even make it to Chicago. This was always primarily about the pick swap for the Bulls.
Energized by Blake Griffin, the Pistons are back in the thick of the playoff race.
But with Reggie Jackson still sidelined, Detroit is relying on a hodgepodge at point guard: Ish Smith, Dwight Buycks and Langston Galloway. Though that group has performed decently, Pistons president/coach Stan Van Gundy is getting a familiar reinforcement – Jameer Nelson.
Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports:
Sources: Detroit is sending center Willie Reed to the Bulls for Jameer Nelson, who shores up Pistons' PG rotation.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 8, 2018
Sources: As part of Jameer Nelson deal, Bulls and Pistons are swapping their second-round picks in 2022.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 8, 2018
Nelson had his best years with the Van Gundy-coached Magic, but that was also nearly a decade ago. Nelson, who turns 36 tomorrow, has declined significantly. He probably won’t be in the rotation once Jackson returns. Heck, he might not be in the rotation even now. But he’s another option on a team that hasn’t found stability at point guard.
Is that worth a chance of dropping a bit in the second round in four years? Maybe. I doubt the present-focused Van Gundy blinked at the cost, especially considering he had no attachment to Willie Reed (who came to Detroit in the Griffin trade).
For the Bulls, this is a chance to get a little more value out of the Nikola Mirotic trade. Nelson – who, like Reed, is on an expiring minimum contract – provided nothing to tanking Chicago. Reed, who’s one-game into a six-game suspension for domestic violence, probably won’t either. But at least he’s just 27 if the Bulls want to take a flier on evaluating him for next season, and moving up in the second round only helps.
It might even allow Chicago to sell the pick for more money in June.