It's truly been a nightmare season for the Charlotte Hornets following their trade of LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid and draft capital. While a step back from last season was always considered likely, it was never expected that they would look this bad. They've been the worst offense in the NBA so far, and now it appears Reid's tenure in Charlotte could possibly be short-lived.
Timberwolves lead insider Jon Krawczynski said on his podcast that "The possibilities of Reid getting traded again are very high" due to the roster being extremely far from contention and Reid having a solid amount of value around the league. If this ends up being the case and the Hornets traded a young, franchise point guard in Ball for a player who isn't in their long-term plans, it will officially be a disaster of a move for the Hornets.
On the other hand, the Wolves look like they've made out like bandits. They've been one of the best teams in the NBA, and that is in large part due to Ball keeping the offense running smoothly despite Anthony Edwards being sidelined.
The Timberwolves absolutely fleeced the Hornets
It was fairly obvious at the time that the Wolves were getting a younger, superior player who was also a major position need for the team. The Hornets were coming off their most successful season in a decade, and if you watched the games, you could tell who the driver of that was. However, for whatever reason, the Hornets didn't view Ball as important for them long-term. That isn't aging too well for them so far.
As previously said, their offense is in the mud. Sure, they are dealing with a lot of injuries, but they are last in the league offensively, and that's not just from being banged up. Brandon Miller has struggled immensely with efficiency as the number one option, and Reid is shooting a career-worst from the field.
Wolves Nation still has a lot of love for Reid, but there also comes a point where you have to call a spade a spade. He wasn't a full-time starter once during his seven seasons in Minnesota, and despite being extremely gifted offensively, he's always been inconsistent at best on the other end.
The Wolves were able to get an All-NBA-caliber point guard for him and only one true unprotected first-round pick. That's a no-brainer trade 10 out of 10 times.
The rumors that the Hornets could already be looking at flipping Reid further prove that the Wolves performed an ultimate fleece job during this deadline. While the vibes couldn't be lower in Charlotte, the vibes in the Twin Cities are currently sky-high, without any signs of dropping anytime soon.
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