Jameer Nelson Reportedly Traded to Pistons from Bulls for Willie Reed
Jameer Nelson is on the move again, as the Chicago Bulls reportedly traded him to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday for center Willie Reed ahead of the NBA trade deadline, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago reported the Bulls will "immediately waive" Reed and will have the right to swap second-round picks in 2022 with Detroit as part of the deal.
Afterward, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reported the Pistons are also talking to the New Orleans Pelicans about a trade for Dante Cunningham involving Brice Johnson.
Nelson began this season with the New Orleans Pelicans, appearing in 43 games and averaging 5.1 points per game off the bench. New Orleans traded him to the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 1 as part of the package for Nikola Mirotic.
After originally reporting the Bulls were going to waive Nelson, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune noted the team would hold on to him for the time being.
A 14-year NBA veteran, Nelson has been a valuable scoring asset off the bench late in his career. The 35-year-old is shooting 36.4 percent from three-point range this season after posting a 38.8 percent mark in 75 games last season.
The Los Angeles Clippers originally traded Reed to the Pistons in the recent deal that also sent Blake Griffin to Detroit.
The 27-year-old big man has appeared in 42 games this season split between the Clippers and Pistons. He is averaging 4.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
The NBA suspended Reed on Tuesday for six games due to a domestic violence incident.
Nelson is no stranger to moving around. The Pistons will be the sixth different team he's played on in his NBA career, five of which have come after his final season with the Orlando Magic in 2013-14.
Nelson's 20.9 minutes per game this season are his fewest since his rookie campaign in 2004-05. He missed at least 14 games due to injuries in four straight seasons from 2012-13 through 2015-16 before playing in 75 games with the Denver Nuggets last season.
Despite some of those playing-time concerns, Nelson's ability to shoot from behind the arc should make him a valuable contributor in Detroit. He's also grown accustomed to adjusting to new coaching staffs and teammates in recent years, so this latest move shouldn't negatively impact his game.
Until injured floor general Reggie Jackson returns, Nelson likely will serve as the primary backup to starting point guard Ish Smith in Detroit.
