Sixers convert Paul Reed to NBA contract, sign Mason Jones to two-way deal

It was only a few short months ago that 58th overall pick Paul Reed took to Twitter bemoaning his DNP-CD in the Sixers’ preseason opener against the Celtics. In the process, he became a cult favorite among the Philadelphia fanbase.

Since then, Reed has appeared in eight regular season games for the Sixers, with PA announcer Matt Cord echoing “BBall Paul” throughout the Wells Fargo Center. More impressively, the former DePaul big man completely dominated the competition in the G League bubble, on his way to G League MVP and Rookie of the Year honors. In 15 games with the Delaware Blue Coats, averaged 22.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.9 blocks. In an encouraging development towards his potential as a stretch big, Reed also shot 44.4 percent from 3 on 3.6 attempts per game.

Paul’s outstanding play was not lost on Daryl Morey, who took it upon himself to discover what the “out the mud” movement was really all about.

Days later, Morey was explaining the concept on ESPN2. Such is the power of Paul Reed.

The Sixers’ three-team deal at Thursday’s trade deadline opened up a roster spot, and with Reed playing at a high level this season, he earned himself an upgrade from a two-way deal to a standard NBA contract.

In the wake of Tony Bradley’s departure, Dwight Howard is the only true center left on the roster. At least until Morey finds an available center he likes in the buyout market (Gorgui Dieng, anyone?), we’ll likely see legitimate minutes for Reed as a small-ball 5, as we did Thursday night in his 4-point, 3-rebound outing against the Lakers. Congrats to Reed on the pay raise and added job security. He’ll have a chance to continue proving his ability to prosper at the NBA level.

As for the other bit of Friday night’s news item, the Sixers used their newly-vacant two-way contract spot to bring in 6-foot-4 guard Mason Jones. Jones went undrafted out of Arkansas, despite leading the SEC in scoring last season at 22.0 points per game. In two seasons with the Razorbacks, he shot 35.8 percent from 3 on over six attempts per game. The 22-year-old appeared in 26 games this season for the Houston Rockets, before being released earlier this month. In 11.8 minutes per game, Jones averaged 5.8 points per game while shooting 35.9 percent from 3. We’re already a big fan of Isaiah Joe here in Philadelphia, so happy to have his college teammate along for the ride.