Minnesota Timberwolves fans are rightfully thrilled about the addition of LaMelo Ball. However, losing Naz Reid makes this trade painful in some ways for Wolves fans and the organization.
During Ball's introductory press conference, Timberwolves lead executive Tim Connelly was asked about parting ways with the unprotected 2033 pick, and he made it clear that trading Reid was the hardest part of the deal.Â
"The bigger loss (than the 2033 pick) was Naz both as a player and a person. If we could have done this without Naz, it would have been the biggest no-brainer. While the pick's important, thankfully, the Stepien rule allows us to have a pick every other year, so it's not as dire as it might seem from afar, just losing Naz. He's exactly what you want to see: undrafted, got better and better. He's an elite power forward and also an elite guy. So that was the more hurtful part," Connelly said.Â
As Connelly noted, Reid had a remarkable rise with the Timberwolves, transforming from an undrafted player to a Sixth Man of the Year winner and an integral part of a successful team. Of course, Reid's incredible journey made him a fan favorite, with thousands of Wolves fans getting tattoos of his name. Not only was he a fan favorite, but frankly, he's an all-time great Timberwolves player.
Reid's importance to the fan base and organization made this trade a bit painful despite the basketball advantages. To be clear, this is still a trade the Wolves should've made, but the loss of Reid isn't a small one, and Connelly's comments highlight how hard it was to part ways with him.Â
Trading Naz Reid wasn't an easy decision for the Timberwolves
From a pure basketball standpoint, trading Reid, an unprotected first-round pick and three pick swaps for a player with Ball's level of talent is fantastic value. But as we all know, these decisions go beyond basketball. Reid meant so much to both the fans and the team.
It's worth noting that Reid, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels essentially grew up together (NBA-wise). Reid played one season without Edwards and McDaniels. Then, when these two were drafted, the trio formed an unbreakable bond and proved to be a perfect fit basketball-wise. As the Wolves rose to prominence, so did Reid -- it was truly poetic.Â
The human side of these moves makes them more challenging than you'd think at the surface level. Â
Even from a basketball standpoint, after trading Julius Randle, Reid was primed to step into the starting lineup for the first time in his career. The expectation of improvement from Reid and his proven fit with the rest of the team add another element of difficulty to the decision to trade him.
Wolves fans are thrilled to see how Ball can elevate the team. Hopefully, he can prove to be the perfect final piece and help the Timberwolves get over the championship hump.
Regardless, seeing Reid in a different uniform will feel weird for the fan base, and it was sad to see him be traded. Without a doubt, it's nice to see that Connelly shares this same level of sadness about parting ways with Reid.Â
Add us as a preferred source on Google