When it comes to productive reserves, very few (if any) have done more off the bench than Naz Reid. The 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year was rewarded with a five-year/$125 million contract in the offseason to remain with the Timberwolves.
With many believing Minnesota will look to upgrade at point guard by the trade deadline, Reid appears to be one of the more tradable pieces on the team. What is his trade value amongst the other 29 teams? Tim Bontemps of ESPN believes that it isn’t particularly high.
Bontemps not a huge fan of Naz Reid when it comes to his trade value
On a recent episode of The Hoops Collective podcast, one of the topics was whether there should be concern with the Timberwolves' start this season. That evolved into potentially trading for a lead guard, and Bontemps had this brief (but telling) statement regarding Reid.
"I just don’t think they can turn Naz Reid into anything right now personally," Bontemps said
Now 26 years old, Reid’s contract goes through the age of 30. After somewhat of a slow start, the 6-foot-9 big man has looked more like himself. Through 20 games, Reid is posting averages of 13.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block.
Minnesota’s bench has struggled to put up points at times outside of Reid (28th in the league in bench scoring). If the Timberwolves were to deal him, the bench would become a bigger concern (although Donte DiVincenzo could move there if a point guard is acquired).
Reid's contract isn't all that bad
I don’t think it’s fully accurate that the Timberwolves would be unable to trade Reid for anything of value. Again, his contract runs through his prime, and with contracts continuing to ascend, his deal certainly isn’t a bad one.
Do I think he could be the centerpiece for a blockbuster deal? I do not. As Brian Windhorst stated after Bontemps’ comment on Reid, though, maybe they do not go after a max-level star point guard.
Reid is beloved by the Minnesota fanbase, so if dealt, it better be a good trade for the Wolves. While point guard has been mentioned as a weakness all season, DiVincenzo has performed admirably in the starting lineup.
Coming off two impressive wins against the Celtics and Spurs, the Timberwolves are now 12-8. Continue to win, and the middling start they got off to will soon become more and more forgotten.