Paul Reed’s busy offseason includes trying to ‘prove my value’ to Sixers in summer league

SALT LAKE CITY — Paul Reed is having a busy offseason.

The 76ers reserve center has been working out in Atlanta, Phoenix, Orlando, and Camden. He also received his bachelor’s degree in communications from DePaul University. And this week, Reed will compete with the Sixers in the Salt Lake City Summer League.

But why participate in the summer league as a soon-to-be third-year NBA veteran?

“I mean it’s an opportunity for me to get better, honestly,” said Reed, 23. “I feel like going into next season, I have a chance to show them what I’ve been working on, so I can prove my value. That’s kind of my mindset. I just want to get better.”

The Sixers started summer-league training camp at the University of Utah on Saturday. It concludes on Monday. Then they will open the four-team SLC summer league against the Memphis Grizzlies at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Vivint Arena.

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The Sixers will follow that up with games against the Utah Jazz (Wednesday) and Oklahoma City (Thursday) before heading to Las Vegas for the NBA2K23 Summer League.

“I’m going to be here [as a member of the summer league team] just for Salt Lake City,” Reed said. “But I’m going to be out in Vegas supporting, too, working out still.”

There’s already something different about Reed.

Looking to add muscle, he hired a private chef this offseason. He’s gained 10 pounds and now measures in at 6-foot-9, 234 pounds.

“I’ve been eating good,” Reed said. “I’ve been working out every day, working on my shot.”

In addition working on his perimeter game, the Sixers want Reed to be more consistent with setting picks and rolling to the basket. The summer league will provide an opportunity to get in-game repetitions.

“So like dribble-out handoffs, setting screens, getting out early, just kind of perfecting that kind of stuff in the summer league,” Reed said. “Because that’s what I’m going to do a lot of next season.”

But he did take a break to go back to DePaul to receive his bachelor’s degree in communications. Reed was drafted by the Sixers in 2020 after his junior year, but always planned on completing his education.

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He actually downplayed his accomplishment.

“That’s light,” Reed said. “... It’s not really that impressive.”

There are players who choose not to go back to college after turning professional. Reminded of that, Reed changed his stance.

“I did three years of work,” he said of studying at DePaul. “So I wasn’t just going to let those three years go to waste, you know? That’s my mindset. And my mom and my auntie, they all wanted me to graduate. So it was cool and I wanted to flex.”