December 15 is the key date when players who signed new deals this offseason become eligible to trade. Today (January 15), however, eleven more players were eligible to be traded before the February 5 deadline. One of these players is Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid.
This doesn’t mean Reid will be traded before the deadline; that would even surprise me considerably. Nevertheless, this is a notable piece of Timberwolves news.
While a Reid trade is unlikely, we could see some moves happening soon around the league, with Jonathan Kuminga the most likely trade candidate now eligible to be dealt.
Naz Reid is not a trade candidate
Reid’s value as a bench scorer is enormous. He is averaging 14.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 46.9/38.1/78.1 shooting splits. By all accounts, Reid is in the mix to win his second Sixth Man of the Year.
Before the deadline, many people will be miming trades where the Wolves trade Reid for star-level guards like Ja Morant. However, the reality is that this remains very unlikely. Trusted NBA insider Jake Fischer has repeatedly said the Wolves are not interested in one exchange for a highly paid security guard and have valued depth since trading Karl-Anthony Towns.
No doubt Reid plays a key role in this depth. Not to mention that the state of Minnesota would be devastated if Reid were traded, especially for a guard like Ja who carries so much risk.
Reid signed a five-year, $125 million contract this summer, and since he is one of the team’s bigger signings, he would be a trade candidate if the Wolves want to make a big move. Regardless, as stated at this point, such a transaction seems incredibly unlikely.
If the Wolves make a move at the deadline, it will either be a mid-range player or even a minimum contract player. As of now, second-year guard Rob Dillingham appears to be the Wolves’ top trade target. A lot can change between now and the trade deadline, but I would be surprised if the Wolves made an aggressive (and risky) move that involved trading Reid or another key player.
The Wolves are currently fourth in the West with a 27-14 record and have a 7-3 record in their past ten games. Frankly, a big move isn’t necessary, especially with the current star-level players available. A move to increase their depth is all the Wolves need, and this is likely what they will pursue after the deadline.
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