1:53pm: The Pistons have confirmed the trade via a press release.
10:11am: The Bulls are sending veteran point guard Jameer Nelson to the Pistons in a deadline-day trade, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links). According to Charania, center Willie Reed will be headed to Chicago. The Bulls will also get the right to swap 2022 second-round picks with the Pistons, per Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post (via Twitter).
Both Nelson and Reed have already been traded within the last week and a half — Nelson moved from New Orleans to Chicago in the Nikola Mirotic trade, while Reed was one of the pieces the Pistons acquired from the Clippers alongside Blake Griffin. Nelson and Reed were both eligible to be traded again this week, but couldn’t have had their salaries aggregated with another player’s salary in a deal.
For the Pistons, Nelson will help fortify the point guard position, which has been somewhat shorthanded this season due to Reggie Jackson‘s lengthy injury absence. Ish Smith and Dwight Buycks have done a respectable job handling point guard duties with Jackson on the shelf, but Nelson will provide a steady veteran hand.
Nelson, who will turn 36 on Friday, appeared in 43 games for the Pelicans this season, averaging 5.1 PPG and 3.6 APG with a .410/.364/.765 shooting line in 20.9 minutes per contest. In Detroit, he’ll reunite with Stan Van Gundy, who coached him for several seasons in Orlando.
As for Reed, the 27-year-old center was solid as a part-timer in Miami last season, averaging 5.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 71 games with the Heat. His per-minute numbers have remained solid for the Clippers and Pistons this season, but he’s playing a career-low 10.2 MPG. He was also recently hit with a six-game suspension as a result of a domestic incident that took place last summer, though the NBPA has filed a grievance on his behalf.
Like Nelson, Reed will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so he seems unlikely to fit into the Bulls’ long-term plans. In fact, Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago reports (via Twitter) that Chicago plans to immediately waive the big man.
The Bulls and Pistons will each create modest trade exceptions in the swap, with Chicago getting one worth Nelson’s salary ($1,429,818) and Detroit creating one worth Reed’s salary ($1,471,382).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
New Orleans to Chicago to Detroit
LA to Detroit to Chicago
Reed will be waived. The Bulls will have the option to swap their 2nd round pick w/ Detroit in 2022.
Why would the Bulls just waive him? He’s better than Asik and Felicio and (relatively) young. I think he stays.
And the Bulls are waiving him. I’d have liked to see them give him a shot, but I guess Willie gives plenty of those to females, soooo…
Stan bringing back his former players… Solid veteran PG … Will definitely help us out right away
I love what the Motor City is cooking!
Cleveland is still team to beat!
Milwaukee is also better in that same division.
Bulls picking up a center in order to trade Lopez?
No, Reed will be waived. The Bulls will have the option to swap 2nd rounders with DET in 2022. Lopez might still be moved, but this deal has no barring on that.
Lopez back to Portland for Turner?
That’s gotta be a hard NO for the Bulls. Turner has 3 years and over 50 million left on his contract. That makes no sense for a team in the middle of a rebuild. The Bulls want picks, so moving Lopez for a bad contract PLUS a first rounder makes the most sense.
I think the bulls should trade for jokaim noah. Jerian grant and Omer Asik/ Justin holiday for jokiam noah and a top 3 protected Knicks pick This year. Gives the knicks two solid pieces while we absorb a terrible contract and get a first rounder for our trouble. Besides it would be nice to see noah back in chi town
Pretttttty sure the Knicks are going to want to keep their 1st round pick as they’re definitely rebuilding with the unicorn out for significant time.
Waivers for Reed! I prefer him to Bogut… Cavs are light on the frontline