If you have been under a rock or off social media for the past two weeks, then let me catch you up. The Minnesota Timberwolves are very much in the hunt to re-sign backup center, Naz Reid. The challenge of how this all will play out is the fact that this is not the same financially flexible and fit Timberwolves team.
That will be especially challenging because the Minnesota Timberwolves clearly will have competition for Naz Reid’s services in the 2023-24 NBA season. And yes, he is very aware of that fact and is doing his part to encourage offers and to drive up the cost of his next contract. It may be simply a staged performance, just showmanship that stirs the pot, the sort of flirtatious banter that players say in a new NBA team’s market that ends up going nowhere.
But the Naz Reid to the Los Angeles Lakers has some legs, and it’s moving pretty rapidly. Just check this out:
If they get Naz Reid and he is a disaster LeGM will be to blame, but if he balls out you know Lakers fans gonna be out here with that Pelinka executive of the year prop https://t.co/UDO8qIJqKu
— NBAStatGuy (@NBAStatGuy_) May 31, 2023
Of course, that means that the Los Angeles Lakers fans are already aware and are weighing in on the potential for a Nez Reid addition to the Lakers roster. How far have they gotten? Well, far enough along for the contract price range of a fair market value for Naz Reid’s services to be part of the information shared publicly:
The Lakers are interested in Minnesota Timberwolves big man, Naz Reid. He is reportedly looking for a contract in the $10m per year range.
— 🦉 Lakers Vino (@VinoUncorked) May 30, 2023
- @LakersDailyCom pic.twitter.com/RAw08uGGCL
That is the type of information that comes out after preliminary discussions come out. Could the Los Angeles Lakers be seriously in the mix for Naz Reid? I think so. The team made it a point to add nearly all of the players traded to the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gobert to their roster: Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt. The Lakers even traded for Timberwolves PG D’Angelo Russell at the trade deadline. Thank you for that, by the way.
While the Minnesota Timberwolves were confident in the fact that re-signing Reid was doable, at this point in time, the Timberwolves have not been able to negotiate a contract with Naz Reid’s team. So what can the Minnesota Timberwolves do? At this stage, the Timberwolves have three options. They are?