When it comes to productive reserves, very few (if any) have done more than Naz Reid. The 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year was rewarded with a five-year/$125 million contract this offseason to remain with the Timberwolves.
With many believing Minnesota will look to upgrade to point guard at the trade deadline, Reid appears to be one of the more tradable pieces on the team. What is his trade value among the other 29 teams? ESPN’s Tim Bontemps doesn’t think it’s particularly high.
Bontemps isn’t a big fan of Naz Reid when it comes to his trade value
In a recent episode of The Hoops Collective Podcastone of the topics was whether there should be any concerns about the Timberwolves’ start this season. That evolved into a possible trade for a lead point guard, and Bontemps had a brief (but telling) statement about Reid.
“I just don’t think they can turn Naz Reid into anything personally at this point,” Bontemps said
He is now 26 years old and Reid’s contract runs until he is 30. After a somewhat slow start, the 6-foot-4 big man is looking more like himself. Through twenty games, Reid recorded averages of 13.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2 assists and a block.
Minnesota’s bench has struggled at times to score points outside of Reid (28th in the league in bench scoring). If the Timberwolves were to deal him, the bench would become more of an issue (although Donte DiVincenzo could move there if a point guard is signed).
Reid’s contract isn’t that bad
I don’t think it’s entirely accurate that the Timberwolves couldn’t trade Reid for anything of value. Again, his contract is going through his prime, and with contracts continuing to rise, his deal certainly isn’t a bad deal.
Do I think he could be the center of a blockbuster deal? Not me. But as Brian Windhorst said after Bontemps’ comment about Reid, maybe they won’t go after a max-level star point guard.
Reid is beloved by the Minnesota fan base, so if it is dealt, it better be a good trade for the Wolves. Although point guard has been cited as a weakness all season, DiVincenzo has performed admirably in the starting lineup.
After two impressive wins against the Celtics and Spurs, the Timberwolves are now 12-8. Keep winning, and the mediocre start they started with will soon be increasingly forgotten.
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