If a franchise trades a fan favorite, they better get the deal right. There are few, if any, athletes currently more beloved in Minnesota than Naz Reid. There are grown adults walking around with his name tattooed on their bodies.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are expected to make some changes to their roster this season due to the way they were eliminated from the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs. A lot of trade rumors involve Julius Randle or Rudy Gobert, but perhaps teams value Reid more, as he is the youngest of the three.
Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon of the Game Theory Podcast recently spoke about the Timberwolves’ upcoming offseason. When Reid’s name was brought up, the Toronto Raptors were brought up as a fit for Naz, with Minnesota receiving their preference of RJ Barrett or Immanuel Quickley in exchange.
While I don’t think Reid should be untouchable, I don’t see this as a deal worth pursuing.
Naz Reid shouldn’t be untouchable, but not dealt for either of the two Toronto playersÂ
It’s understandable why the Raptors would want Reid. Toronto can insert him into the starting lineup at center over Jakob Poeltl.Â
Naz has four years left on his current deal for around $103 million (last year is a player option). Barrett will be entering the last year of his contract at $29.6 million. Quickley has three more years on his contract, all worth $32.5 million. They are all similar in age (Barrett is about 10 months younger than Reid, Quickley about two months older).
Is Quickley a better player than Ayo Dosunmu? I’d argue no, but it’s admittedly close. The fact that it’s a debate means it would be just wiser to re-sign Dosunmu this offseason. Ayo won’t be cheap, but he certainly won’t cost Minnesota $32.5 million a year to bring back.
In his seventh year, Barrett had his best season of scoring efficiency in 2025-26, shooting 57.2 percent inside the arc. He has never developed a reliable outside shot, connecting on just 33.9 percent of his 3-point tries this season.
Reid, despite a period where he struggled from deep after injuring his shoulder, has always been more reliable from 3-point distance. Never mind that RJ will either need to be extended (seems risky) or walk after one year with Minnesota.
Personally, I’ve been of the belief that the Wolves should keep their 26-and-under talent in the offseason (perhaps barring a deal for someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo).
That would better fit the timeline of Anthony Edwards as he gets ready to enter his true prime. If Minnesota is looking to change the look of the team, Randle (preferably) and/or Gobert (if they get a nice haul in return) should be the pieces that move.
Keep in mind that Edwards has grown a kinship with Reid. Ant-Man alreadylost one of his favorites a couple of years ago in Karl-Anthony Towns. Losing Naz and the trade not completely working out in Minnesota’s favor makes it more likely that Ant grows to be unhappy in Minneapolis in the future.
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