Is the price going up on extending Timberwolves Naz Reid?

The contract for Naz Reid’s time with the Minnesota Timberwolves expires at the end of the 2022-23 NBA season. And so, we had covered the likelihood of the Minnesota Timberwolves extending backup center Naz Reid. Extensions are a fine line to navigate. Whoever is negotiating for the player has a singular simple purpose. Get as much money as you can.

But whoever has that corresponding role for the team has a complex web of challenges: Sign that player to the most team-friendly deal possible that not only compensates the player fairly, but allows sufficient space under the NBA Salary Cap to afford other players, and in a way that does not over-extend the team in any single position.

That’s awfully difficult to do with the bigs on the Timberwolves roster right now. And the third guy on the depth chart is playing like a starter. Who am I talking about? Naz Reid of course.

And yet, his play continues to improve. In his latest performance, against the visiting Dallas Mavericks, he led the team in scoring and in rebounding

But the telltale sign is the fact that Austin Rivers, a veteran NBA guard, sees more than depth in Naz Reid. That’s huge, and a very huge problem for the Timberwolves’ efforts to extend their backup.

In the end, the Timberwolves are unlikely to be able to afford to extend Naz Reid. But they have already added backup center Luka Garza, a player who not only shows offensive promise but who the team hopes can slide into Reid’s role next season if they are unable to re-sign him.

There is plenty of basketball remaining to play, and that means Naz Reid has plenty of opportunities to showcase his prowess. In the meantime, Reid’s play benefits the Timberwolves season, and the NBA is sitting up and taking notice.