Could the Dallas Mavericks trade Reggie Bullock just one season after signing him to a three-year, 30 million dollar deal? The journeyman three-point specialist spent one year with the Dallas Mavericks on his shiny new contract before some recent Instagram posts started connecting him to the Philadelphia 76ers. The 25th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft has played on 6 different teams in his 9 years, including the Detroit Pistons, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the New York Knicks, among others.
Everything so far is just speculation, but the fit that Bullock would have on the Philadelphia 76ers is clear to everyone. Joel Embiid and James Harden are at their best with catch-and-shoot players surrounding them, and Bullock is at his best when he gets to be a catch-and-shoot player. His last year with the Mavericks was slightly underwhelming, though, leading the Mavs to field trade offers for him this offseason. During the 2021-2022 season, Bullock averaged 8.6 points per game on 40.1/36.0/83.3 shooting splits, each of which was lower than his previous season as a New York Knick, where he averaged 44.2% from the field, 41.0% from three, and 90.9% from the free-throw line.
However, this slight decrease in efficiency shouldn’t be overly worrisome in the eyes of the Philadelphia 76ers. With Joel Embiid often demanding double teams, James Harden’s All-Star caliber passing ability, and Tyrese Maxey’s emergence as a great scorer, Bullock would see tons of wide-open threes on the Sixers even if he is slightly overpaid for his production. For the past few years, especially since he caught on with the Pistons, Bullock has been a solid player.
Bullock carries career averages of 7.8 points per game on 38.5% shooting from deep. Since 2016, he has been even better, averaging 9.1 points per game on 40% shooting. Bullock would also bring a sense of stability to the Philadelphia 76ers’ bench. Bullock would be coming to the Sixers with two years and roughly 20 million dollars left on his contract, giving the team a reliable bench piece who has the experience to step in as a starter when needed (239 career starts).
Last season, Bullock averaged 8.6 points per game. This, while some may have seen as underwhelming from a 10 million dollar per year player, would have been the 2nd highest scorer on the Philadelphia 76ers bench, behind only Georges Niang. His three-point shooting would also have been invaluable to the 76ers down the stretch, especially after sharpshooter Seth Curry was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in the James Harden blockbuster. Bullock is the type of player that Philadelphia needs. If the Philadelphia 76ers are in the position to make a bid for Reggie Bullock, especially for cheap, then they should pull the trigger, even if it means parting with potential Defensive Player of the Year, Matisse Thybulle.
