2026 NBA draft profiles: Philadelphia 76ers prospect Tarris Reed Jr.

With the 2026 NBA draft fast approaching, the first round is on June 23, now’s the time to look at some potential options for the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 22 pick. If one wants to look at Sixers Wire’s draft big board, one can do so 2026 NBA draft profiles: Philadelphia 76ers.

This series will focus on specific players. The Sixers have a first-round pick thanks to the Jared McCain trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder via the Houston Rockets. After a trip to Round 2 of the playoffs, the Sixers have an opportunity to add to the roster and get themselves another talented young piece around Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe for the future.

Up next in this series is UConn forward Tarris Reed Jr.:

Reed is a rugged big man who’s biggest strength is physicality and rebounding. When considering the Sixers had an issue on the defensive glass in the 2026 playoffs, Reed would come in and immediately fix that problem. Standing at 6-foot-11 and weighing in at 265 pounds, Reed can immediately provide that rough and tough edge off the bench that the Sixers have been needing for quite some time. He is also an excellent screen setter, which comes in handy when considering the Sixers have to find a way to free up their offensive maestros.

When combining the physicality and rebounding with a soft touch around the basket and soft hands in the pick-and-roll game, it makes Reed a really productive player in the paint and a real option for putbacks and drop-off passes off dribble penetration. He shot 60.7% in the 2025-26 season as he hung around the basket for the Huskies to give them a real interior scoring option as UConn made a run to the national championship game before falling to Michigan.

Reed isn’t a floor spacer as took only seven 3-pointers across his four-year collegiate career. That limits his shot diet to inside the paint, really, and he has no real semblance of a jump shot. That can be developed, but that could take some time. He is also not a hugely athletic player, which limits his shots at the rim to more floaters and hook shots rather than making him a lob threat. While he is extremely efficient on those shots, one has to wonder about the limitations at the next level.

When one considers that Andre Drummond is a free agent in the coming summer, the Sixers could use another big man to add to the roster. While Adem Bona will be entering his third season, and the Sixers do like Bona, they could always use more depth at the big man spot. That means a guy like Reed could play right away in this rotation and give coach Nick Nurse and Co. a guy who plays with an edge and can help on the glass.