It was easy to view the Minnesota Timberwolves giving Naz Reid a five-year, $125 million contract as a vote of confidence. Likewise, a deal of this value is starter money, so it was always fair to assume that either the Wolves would trade Julius Randle or Reid at some point. Randle always felt the more likely of the two, given that his value would (presumably) be higher than Reid's importance to Minnesota.
This remained the prevailing thought heading into the playoffs, but it wasn't guaranteed.Â
Reid had an erratic season. He started the year on a strong note and was a clear contender for his second Sixth Man of the Year award. However, after a shoulder injury in the second half of the year, his production plummeted. Given his role, it's fair to expect some level of inconsistency from Reid, but there's no denying this has always been a part of his game, even beyond the shoulder injury.
As such, heading into the playoffs, it was possible that Reid would be traded this offseason if the Wolves didn't fully trust him stepping into a starting role. Again, this wasn't considered a likely scenario, but it was possible. Now, though, it feels all but guaranteed that the Wolves will keep Reid and trade Randle.Â
Naz Reid is proving that he can be a starter amid Julius Randle's struggles
This series against the San Antonio Spurs has essentially cemented Randle's future with the team. He is averaging 14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 3.6 turnovers, on 36.6/21.1/75 shooting splits. There's no denying that Randle's production has been underwhelming for his status as Anthony Edwards' co-star. Even still, trading Randle (and likely another player and/or some additional assets) remains the Wolves' best path to getting a true second option next to Ant.Â
Conversely, Reid has put together a stellar series for his role, averaging 13.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 50/46.2/66.7 shooting splits. The raw counting stats aren't all that different, but Reid has been far more efficient. Furthermore, Reid's ability to make quick decisions and consistently hit 3s makes him a far better fit than Randle. It's fair to believe that Reid can scale up with a bigger role, too.Â
I'm not overreacting to one series either; it's always been a concern whether Randle can be a reliable No. 2 option. Notably, Randle also underperformed in the Western Conference finals last year against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Both the Thunder and Spurs have similar defenses. If your second option has a playstyle that isn't advantageous against your two biggest threats in the conference, a move needs to be made. And frankly, I'm not sure if there's an argument against this anymore.Â
Overall, with Randle's struggles and Reid's strong play, the Timberwolves have an obvious decision this offseason: trade Randle for a perimeter player and see what Reid can do in a bigger role.
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