Jazz sign Sixers free-agent big Paul Reed to offer sheet

At last, some movement on the Paul Reed front.

The Utah Jazz have signed the big man affectionately known as Bball Paul to an offer sheet worth $23 million over three years, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The first season of the deal is fully guaranteed, according to Wojnarowski. The following two seasons become guaranteed if Reed's team advances to the conference semifinals in 2023-24.

A restricted free agent, the Sixers have until 11:59 p.m., Eastern time, on Sunday to match the offer and retain Reed.

The Sixers, of course, signed free-agent bigs Mo Bamba and Montrezl Harrell to veteran minimum deals this week. That would ostensibly put the writing on the wall for Reed's tenure in Philadelphia.

However, every indication has been that those signings don't impact the Sixers' desire to retain Reed.

The deal's structure would put the Sixers over the $165 million luxury tax line, something that will trigger anyway if Philadelphia just fills out its roster with veteran minimum deals.

While the Jazz would be using their room mid-level exception to pay Reed, the Sixers have his Bird rights. In other words, they can match the deal without using their mid-level exception.

Ultimately, Danny Ainge and Utah are communicating two messages to the Sixers with this deal. First, they're taking a shot at Philadelphia's inability to advance past the second round of the playoffs with the "conference semifinals" provision of the deal.

Second, they're challenging the Sixers to go deeper into the luxury tax than perhaps maybe they want to. It's likely not a matter of if the Sixers will go into the tax; it is a matter of how deep they're interested in going into the luxury tax.

That second item seems more noteworthy, and it might unearth something about the Sixers' strategy this offseason.

We'll find out over the next few days - not just whether Reed will remain a Sixer, but whether Philadelphia's brass is operating under a strict team-building budget.