Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid could be an option for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason in free agency.
Sources tell Lakers Daily that the Lakers are interested in acquiring Reid, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Reid, 23, has spent the last four seasons with the Timberwolves and became a key part of their rotation in the 2022-23 season with Karl-Anthony Towns missing time due to a calf injury.
Unfortunately, the big man’s season ended early after he suffered a wrist injury against the Phoenix Suns on March 29.
The Louisiana State University product posted career-highs in points (11.5) and rebounds (4.9) per game in the 2022-23 season. He also shot an impressive 53.7 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from beyond the arc. For his career, Reid is a solid shooter for a big man, shooting 34.4 percent from 3-point range.
Back in February, Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer reported the Reid is looking for a deal in the $10 million per year range.
“The name to keep an eye on most may be Timberwolves center Naz Reid, who has declined varied contract extension offers from Minnesota, sources told Yahoo Sports, and is said to be seeking salary in the ballpark of $10 million next season,” Fischer wrote.
The Lakers could certainly use a frontcourt player with Reid’s skill set if they want to improve the roster this coming offseason.
With Mo Bamba going down with an ankle injury, the Lakers’ primary option behind Anthony Davis in the playoffs was Wenyen Gabriel, who doesn’t possess nearly as strong of an offensive game as Reid.
Reid’s shooting ability could also make him a candidate to play alongside Davis if the Lakers wanted to use bigger lineups at times in the 2023-24 season.
Los Angeles has a lot of free agents of its own this offseason, including Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell, that the team needs to make decisions on in terms of their futures.
Reid will likely have a robust market in free agency because of his age and skill set, but the Lakers certainly have a chance to make a run at him. The team could use some of its pieces on the roster to orchestrate a sign-and-trade for Reid as well for salary-cap purposes.
The Timberwolves relied on Reid a lot in the 2022-23 season, so it will be interesting to see if the team makes a competitive offer to keep the big man or allows him to walk this offseason.
