Why Naz Reid can be the biggest steal of the 2023 NBA Free Agency

Naz Reid is a name virtually every NBA team would love to sign this offseason.

In his fourth year with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Naz put up career-highs in points and rebounds, despite playing only 18 minutes per game. Reid played behind two former All-NBA bigs in Karl Anthony-Towns and Rudy Gobert, yet he still managed a sizeable impact every game.

It’s clear, in Minnesota Naz has outgrown his role and likely won’t re-sign. That leaves the other 29 teams in the NBA to fight for someone who has clear star potential.

What makes Naz Reid so good 

Naz Reid is an extremely skilled offensive center in every way possible. Once a highly touted high school recruit, the talent was never in question. But after an underwhelming year at LSU, Reid went undrafted. Since then, every year he’s improved his game.

Naz is someone who has great touch around the rim. Supremely athletic, he can finish with a thunderous dunk or a smooth lay. His sweet touch around the bucket in high school gave him the nickname “Big Jelly.” Reid also has the unique ability to put the ball on the floor with great success. With his 6-foot-9, 260-pound frame he can bully people to the rim, or even cross you up. An unfair combo.

Possibly his most valuable asset is his ability to stretch the floor from 3. Over his four years in the NBA, Reid has shot 34% from deep, on almost three attempts a game. That’s very respectable for someone his size, and just the threat of his jumper gives whoever signs him a lot of options offensively.

The one area he leaves a bit to be desired is on the defensive end. Reid is someone who has amazing agility for how big he is, but we haven’t seen it translate to complete defensive switchability. His rim protection is another part of his game that is a slight mystery, due to his limited role this season. He has averaged almost one block per game for his career, but I’m unsure how this skill will project on a team where he has a larger role.

Overall, Reid has a surprisingly similar game to his current teammate KAT. They’re both very skilled on offense and could be better on defense. I believe Reid has a better basketball IQ, but he obviously hasn’t put up near the same numbers KAT has. On the right team, Reid has the potential to put up all-star numbers in the future or be a crucial piece on a championship-level team. It all depends on the route he wants to go.

Potential landing spots for Naz Reid in free agency 

Heading into free agency, it’s likely that many teams will be vying for Reid’s services, but many don’t have the cap space or enticing enough role for him to sign. To acquire Reid, I imagine he will be looking for around a $15 million per year multi-year deal.

The first team that would make sense for Reid is the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs lacked a real starting center to pair with Luka Doncic in the pick-and-roll. Reid is a perfect fit. He and Luka would be a dream combo together and this role still allows Reid to play a big part in the team. It’s looking increasingly unlikely that Kyrie Irving will re-sign with Dallas, so they may have the necessary money to sign him outright. If not, a sign-and-trade could also be in play.

The Toronto Raptors could be a unique opportunity for Reid as well. It’s still quite up in the air what will happen in Toronto this offseason, but they will likely offload some major pieces. If Jakob Poeltl ends up leaving this offseason, that could open the door for Reid. The Raptors are a spot where Reid can get loads of minutes, while still playing on a competitive team, depending on the route they go. Toronto has many pieces that will interest the Wolves, so a sign and trade is a plausible option here.

The Golden State Warriors might possibly be a cheat code if they could acquire Naz Reid. With the free-flowing Dub City offense, a multi-skilled center like Reid would be an unbelievable fit for an already stacked team. The Warriors will have an interesting offseason regardless of what happens in the rest of these playoffs.

The looming free agency of Draymond Green is a question that will need to be answered at the end of this season. Either way, Golden State is a team unafraid to open up the checkbook, so Reid is a real option. He could easily move to starting center in place of Kevon Looney, and become optimized in a system and culture that breaths winning.