It’s hard to find a player who is more popular on the Minnesota Timberwolves than Naz Reid. While Anthony Edwards brings the star power, Reid has become a local favorite, inspiring fans to greet each other by saying his name and even convincing them to get tattoos in his honor.
Simply put, Timberwolves fans love Reid. Last summer, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly showed his appreciation with a five-year, $125 million contract extension just as he was about to hit free agency.
While $25 million per season speaks volumes, the Wolves didn’t give Reid a bigger role in his first year of the contract. But with Julius Randle on the trade block, it may be the perfect time to validate the belief that helped him stay in Minnesota.
Naz Reid’s contract is another reason he should become a Timberwolves starter
Reid was paid like a starting player last season, but his role on the court didn’t reflect it. The 26-year-old appeared in 77 games for the Timberwolves but started just three of them, playing an average of 26.1 minutes per game.
His numbers were still similar to his 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year campaign (13.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and he shot well enough to help space the floor netting 36.2 percent of his triples. With Randle and Rudy Gobert ahead of him, there was no path for him to earn a starting role.
While he may not be able to match Randle's raw scoring, Reid's floor spacing abilities make him a smoother with the Wolves starters. Plus Reid's 2.2 assists per game don't jump off the page but he excels at reading the court and finding the open man.
The presence of Randle also presented a roadblock, but there’s a good chance that will change. Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch defended Randle during an appearance on KFAN last week, but it could have been a last-ditch effort to salvage his trade value. After flopping in the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs, Randle seems to be a lock to be traded this offseason and it could open the door for Reid to jump into the starting lineup.
All of this gets back to his contract. While Reid’s AAV is $25 million, his contract increases each year, ending with a $28.4 million player option in 2029-30
Even though his $23.2 million salary for next season sounds reasonable, it ranks 13th among centers and would rank 19th among power forwards.
Reid has value as a jumpstarter off the Timberwolves bench and Finch could decide to keep him there if they can’t find adequate depth this offseason.
You could also make the argument that finding a way to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo would be a better idea for a team that should be operating with a sense of urgency this summer.
But the investment into Reid last summer suggests he is part of their core in the long term and could build a better roster with him in a starting role. It makes now the time to validate their faith, especially if Randle is traded this offseason.
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