Nets backup center Willie Reed will not be with the team for the remainder of the season for “personal reasons,” according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. It was not immediately known what those reasons were.
Willie Reed is away from the team for personal reasons for the rest of the season. #nets
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) April 6, 2016
Reed’s tumultuous rookie season, which began with a thumb injury and saw him bounce in and out of the rotation (leading to a controversial social media post), will end with 39 games played (2 starts), and averages of 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game.
With Brook Lopez resting as the Nets look to next year, Henry Sims is now the team’s only active “true” center, although Thomas Robinson and Chris McCullough will also likely see minutes at center. Robinson in particular has a chance to show his capabilities after telling media earlier this week that he wants to be a “20 minute-plus player”; to get that kind of playing time in Brooklyn, Robinson would have to play some minutes as a backup center.
The Nets have the right to tender Reed a qualifying offer, but it’s most likely that he will become an unrestricted free agent following the season.
