Willie Reed Reportedly Will Opt out of Heat Contract, Enter Free Agency

Coming off a solid season as a backup center, Willie Reed will attempt to cash in as a free agent after reportedly declining his contract option with the Miami Heat. 

The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported Reed's decision to opt out of his deal with the Heat. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel noted Reed "essentially" said he would be opting out when they talked last week. 

Winderman also noted Reed's deal is actually an opt in with the Heat, meaning he doesn't have to inform them of his intent to become a free agent and can just let the option expire. 

Reed signed a two-year deal with the Heat last summer. The 27-year-old played in 39 games for the Brooklyn Nets during the 2015-16 season, averaging 15.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per 36 minutes, per Basketball-Reference.com. 

The Heat get a tremendous bargain by having Reed exercise his deal for next season. He will make $1.09 million, per Spotrac. His performance last season, primarily off the bench, seemed to warrant a substantial raise if he hit free agency. 

Reed backed up Hassan Whiteside, averaging 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 56.8 percent. Averaging his numbers out to 36 minutes, his numbers look better with 13.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and was worth 1.5 win shares on defense, per Basketball-Reference.com. 

HoopsHype's Alex Kennedy broke down more numbers Reed posted during the 2016-17 season that suggest he could continue to get better:

Reed has had quite the career arc. He went from an undrafted free agent out of Saint Louis in 2011, bounced around for four years in the NBA Development League and the Dominican Republic's Liga Nacional de Baloncesto before finally getting his shot with the Nets. 

After taking full advantage of that opportunity, Reed has his first chance to cash in at a time when NBA salaries continue to rise. He also has the chance to find a destination that doesn't already have an All-Star center to see more time on the court than the Heat can offer.