One player the Thunder should target on each team in the Atlantic Division

Philadelphia 76ers: Paul Reed

Paul Reed hasn’t seen much opportunity in his three years in Philadelphia, playing just nine minutes per game. Yet he has one of the most impressive per 36 resumes in the NBA. For his career, he has averaged 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 4.9 STOCKS (steals plus blocks) per 36 minutes. Those striking defensive numbers are enough to make fantasy managers drool.

It’s exciting to picture Paul Reed joining the OKC Thunder’s front court. His positional versatility offers a wealth of rotational options.

He could play minutes as OKC’s backup center and backup power forward. In the future, he could even start at power forward. Reed is still just 23 years old.

There has been noise in Philadelphia this summer about a forthcoming breakout season for Reed. New head coach Nick Nurse has confirmed he will play Reed next to Embiid as he takes over the reigns from Doc Rivers.

It will be interesting to monitor the success of those lineups and his shooting progression. Yet even if he remains a non-shooter, he’d remain an excellent fit for the OKC Thunder’s roster.

A front-court duo of Reed and Chet Holmgren could become a nightmare for opponents. Holmgren’s floor spacing enables the Thunder to incorporate a non-shooter into their lineup. While OKC currently has Lu Dort filling that non-shooter role, Reed would significantly upgrade finishing talent.

Holmgren and Reed would have a chance to generate more turnovers than any other front court in the league. If Reed truly has untapped playmaking and shooting ability, this goes from a home run addition to a grand slam.