What ever happened to Willie Reed?

[CruzDude]

At the end of the past season the Kings signed Willie Reed to a 10-day or perhaps more. He dressed for a couple of games, don't think he played, was on Reno for a bit, then nothing. He fell off the player map.

Touted as an above the rim defender and shot blocker he seemed like a good candidate for the Kings.

Then, poof! disappeared. His Wikipedia page doesn't say much and his NBA bio has nothing. Seems to have had issues in college but put up 14.5 and 8 rebs for D-League team in mid-west.

Anybody have a clue: is he still around? is he any good? could he help?

 

[Albatros]

He's under contract for next season according to basketball reference.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

He's under contract for next season according to basketball reference.

If so, it's probably one of those unguaranteed contracts that we can dump at any time. A lot of late-year pick-ups get a deal like that. I think it's really all about salary flexibility - unguaranteed contracts are great for tossing around in deals in the summer to match salary but nearly all of them end up getting cut. It's basically what should be called a "phantom contract".

A guy like Willie Reed who is begging for an NBA audition, well he and his agent know that he's likely going to get traded and almost definitely going to get cut this summer but that's a reasonable trade-off for them. He gets NBA pay for a short period of time and an NBA audition, and the team gets to attach his name to a phantom contract for their own advantage over the summer.

 

[CruzDude]

Ahh, haa!! See that Willy was on the Kings Training Camp Roster in 2012: 6-9, 220, a 22 yr old rookie from St.Louis U. Then he gets picked up in April this year and disappears. Hmm. Bet we see him at Summer League.