The Naz Reid Thread

[Klomp]

Monk also wanted to stay with his team, and signed a contract for $56.4 for three years, and a $21 mil PO. Monk’s deal is $17.4 mil this year. We love Naz, but we might be over-estimating what a new contract would look like.

I think Jaden McDaniels money is roughly the absolute ceiling of Naz Reid's next contract, knowing what we know now.

[Klomp]

Also, it should be pointed out that if Naz waits until next summer to waive his player option next summer, MIN can’t trade him that summer - he’s an unrestricted free agent. The only teams that can pay him more are cap space teams, because he will have effectively ended his Bird rights, so this limits his choices to where he can choose to go.

Said another way, if Naz wants to go elsewhere to get more money and more opportunity, it’s better for both him and the team for MIN to work together on a trade before the deadline, to one of his selected destinations where he plans to re-sign next summer with his Bird rights.

Yep, this is essentially what I was getting at.

[shrink]

Monk also wanted to stay with his team, and signed a contract for $56.4 for three years, and a $21 mil PO. Monk’s deal is $17.4 mil this year. We love Naz, but we might be over-estimating what a new contract would look like.

I think Jaden McDaniels money is roughly the absolute ceiling of Naz Reid's next contract, knowing what we know now.

We are sharing the same brain today, and I almost put that into my response.

If you just go by the eye-test, Naz’s flashy ball-handling to get to the rim, and his three point shooting makes him look like a much more valuable player than Jaden. However, Naz isn’t a good passer, and critical for big men, he isn’t a good rebounder or defender. Gobert and Towns are far superior, in much uglier packages. Jaden, on the other hand, is a valuable and scarce defensive wing with length. If teams need scoring, they can get it from other players, but if teams need a point-of-attack defender with length, that’s a rarer skillset.

To me, it is not a foregone conclusion that Naz and NAW will get such big contracts that the owners (whoever they may be) won’t pay another season of extreme lux taxes, especially if the team is contending for a championship. Adding Naz and NAW’s deals isn’t the same thing as PHX adding Bradley Beal on a max.

[Klomp]

To me, it is not a foregone conclusion that Naz and NAW will get such big contracts that the owners (whoever they may be) won’t pay another season of extreme lux taxes, especially if the team is contending for a championship. Adding Naz and NAW’s deals isn’t the same thing as PHX adding Bradley Beal on a max.

I kinda like the idea of roster building with a bunch of $20-35 million contracts, similar to how the Knicks' cap sheet currently looks.

In regards to NAW, I put him a step below Jaden's contract level in more of a Josh Hart/Bruce Brown range. Ceiling coming around $20 million AAV.

[wolves_89]

The thing I've been watching for has been a Gobert extension where he opts out of 2025-26 and re-signs for less money but gets multiple additional years. If that doesn't happened, I think there is a real chance that Rudy gets traded next offseason and Naz is retained with a new (or extended) deal.

[Folklore]

However, Naz isn’t a good passer, and critical for big men, he isn’t a good rebounder or defender.

Where are you getting this from?

[minimus]

[However, Naz isn’t a good passer.

Naz isn’t a good passer yet. But he is already a much better at finishing at rim and playing off the catch than Towns. Because Naz is a natural scorer. Also playing next to Anderson was more about scoring than passing, but Naz will improve as passer.

[Klomp]

Read on Twitter

I think it's important to establish the "3 bigs" look for the Wolves is not a "3 centers" look.

Naz hasn't played like a center in years. And even when he has actually been asked to play center during his career, he hasn't been good at it -- terrible in drop coverage; doesn't set good screens (very good at popping or slipping, but not at creating advantages for teammates); poor rebounder (until last year when *tah dah!* he stopped playing center).

(I remember asking him his rookie year about playing center, and he said this was the first team he had ever played on in his life that asked him to play 5.)

To me, this was a misdiagnosis of position from Day 1 due to his body fat% coming out of the draft (highest in his draft class). I think the dude has been a stretch/playmaking forward his whole career. And his body has now come around to match that (he told me last year he's down 45 pounds from his first summer league).

The guy is and always has been more of a weapon on the wing -- as a quick decision-maker (embodies ".5-second mentality"); as a shooter (shot a higher volume from 3 but the same % as KAT last year); as a downhill rim threat (obviously -- handles, jelly, dunks, etc); actually as a really strong passer, too, from a skill level standpoint -- you can tell he played QB in high school -- problem with his playmaking is and has always been turnovers; and also as a perimeter defender -- this is his most under-recognized skill, I think -- he's been moving his feet guarding wings *well* for multiple years (that's not new, btw), especially in isolation.

To me, it is so clear that Naz Reid is more of a 3 than he is a 5 -- even if his best position is 4. And to that end I think there's nothing crazy about the idea of playing Rudy, KAT and Naz all at the same time often. If you can play Rudy and KAT together, you can play all three together.

[frankenwolf]

I think it's important to establish the "3 bigs" look for the Wolves is not a "3 centers" look.

To me, it is so clear that Naz Reid is more of a 3 than he is a 5 -- even if his best position is 4. And to that end I think there's nothing crazy about the idea of playing Rudy, KAT and Naz all at the same time often. If you can play Rudy and KAT together, you can play all three together.

Britt & FInchy touched on this on their first interview last week and jokingly talked about playing Jaden at the two and Jingles at PG. Why not? Go big or go home, right??

[minimus]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

It looks like Reid is already as good as Towns at shooting threes.

[minimus]

Read on Twitter

I think Naz is mislabeled as С, but our smallball lineup with Randle-Reid-Edwards might punish slower opponents all day long. All three Randle-Reid-Edwards can "touch the paint" putting incredible pressure on the rim. Although Reid have a lot room to grow as passer, Randle and Edwards are already above average kick-out passers.

P.S. Obviously Monk is not a C as well.

[minimus]

Read on Twitter

While I agree that inverted pick-n-roll can be played by Randle and Edwards because:

- Randle is an excellent on ball passer
- Edwards has strength to set good screens AND finish around the rim OR can pass

I think this is action has potential for Reid and Edwards duo too. Watch this this video below: Naz used between the legs crossover and little step back to hit pull ip three. Reid is a much better shooter than Randle, so defender cant play drop. This 4-5 pick-n-roll, Gobert-Reid. But if Reid develops passing ability MIN can run inverted pick-n-rolls when small ball lineup is on the court.

Read on Twitter

[shrink]

I’m curious if you guys think that Naz Reid has passed Ricky Rubio as the third most popular Wolf in franchise history?

[Klomp]

I’m curious if you guys think that Naz Reid has passed Ricky Rubio as the third most popular Wolf in franchise history?

I think there's a discussion there, but I think it becomes more of a sure thing assuming Naz re-signs here next offseason.

[fattymcgee]

To me, it is not a foregone conclusion that Naz and NAW will get such big contracts that the owners (whoever they may be) won’t pay another season of extreme lux taxes, especially if the team is contending for a championship. Adding Naz and NAW’s deals isn’t the same thing as PHX adding Bradley Beal on a max.

I kinda like the idea of roster building with a bunch of $20-35 million contracts, similar to how the Knicks' cap sheet currently looks.

In regards to NAW, I put him a step below Jaden's contract level in more of a Josh Hart/Bruce Brown range. Ceiling coming around $20 million AAV.

If NAW demands $20M we better show him the door. He's not worth that.

[KGdaBom]

The thing I've been watching for has been a Gobert extension where he opts out of 2025-26 and re-signs for less money but gets multiple additional years. If that doesn't happened, I think there is a real chance that Rudy gets traded next offseason and Naz is retained with a new (or extended) deal.

We would be down to zero actual centers on the team. I know it's all positionless now.

[KGdaBom]

To me, it is not a foregone conclusion that Naz and NAW will get such big contracts that the owners (whoever they may be) won’t pay another season of extreme lux taxes, especially if the team is contending for a championship. Adding Naz and NAW’s deals isn’t the same thing as PHX adding Bradley Beal on a max.

I kinda like the idea of roster building with a bunch of $20-35 million contracts, similar to how the Knicks' cap sheet currently looks.

In regards to NAW, I put him a step below Jaden's contract level in more of a Josh Hart/Bruce Brown range. Ceiling coming around $20 million AAV.

If NAW demands $20M we better show him the door. He's not worth that.

yep show him the door.

[shrink]

I’m curious if you guys think that Naz Reid has passed Ricky Rubio as the third most popular Wolf in franchise history?

I think there's a discussion there, but I think it becomes more of a sure thing assuming Naz re-signs here next offseason.

Now I’m wondering who’s #5? Or can someone else from the past slide up in front of Naz/Rubio?

1. Garnett
2. Ant
3. Rubio
4. Naz
5. ??

Sam Mitchell? Pek? Cassell? Pooh? Love or KAT? Derrick Rose? Maybe Googs? Everybody likes Mike Conley?

[wolves_89]

The thing I've been watching for has been a Gobert extension where he opts out of 2025-26 and re-signs for less money but gets multiple additional years. If that doesn't happened, I think there is a real chance that Rudy gets traded next offseason and Naz is retained with a new (or extended) deal.

We would be down to zero actual centers on the team. I know it's all positionless now.

I posted that before the KAT trade when I thought the Wolves would need to choose between Rudy and KAT next offseason. After the trade it's clear Rudy is likely to be around beyond this season.

[KGdaBom]

I’m curious if you guys think that Naz Reid has passed Ricky Rubio as the third most popular Wolf in franchise history?

I think there's a discussion there, but I think it becomes more of a sure thing assuming Naz re-signs here next offseason.

Now I’m wondering who’s #5? Or can someone else from the past slide up in front of Naz/Rubio?

1. Garnett
2. Ant
3. Rubio
4. Naz
5. ??

Sam Mitchell? Pek? Cassell? Pooh? Love or KAT? Derrick Rose? Maybe Googs? Everybody likes Mike Conley?

Every time I think back about Pek it puts a smile on my face. He is very likely a real life gangster now, but that kind of adds to his legend.