Minnesota gets to keep one of the better and younger backup centers in the NBA, as the Timberwolves extend Naz Reid to a three-year, $42 million extension, as it was announced Sunday, as his agents told ESPN’s, Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 23-year-old has developed into great depth insurance off the bench as a potential spot starter. The undrafted rookie from LSU signed a two-way contract back in 2019, as the 6’9″ center averaged 22.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game, with a 61.7% true shooting percentage in his four-year career. This is with limited time off the bench, per 36 minutes this season, and averaging only 18.4 minutes per game due to the lineup ahead of him.
This includes the likes of star centers Karl Anthony-Towns and Rudy Gobert. The 42-40 Wolves from last season get to keep a part of their young core, as Reid was a pending free agent prior to the extension. For slightly more than the midlevel exception, Minnesota gets to keep their big man to develop behind KAT and Gobert in a crowded frontcourt. But having him on the team is better than him leaving for nothing, as a trade is still a possibility for Reid.
The Athletic‘s Jon Krawczynski reported after the trade deadline that more than a dozen teams had called Minnesota about Reid, so now on this contract, the young center will be an appealing trade target still during the upcoming season. Even with the limited minutes, he will have for the Timberwolves, Reid and his agents did negotiate for a player option in his final (3rd) season so that is on the table if both KAT and Gobert are still on the team. This extension allows him to continue playing his role where he had success, under head coach Chris Finch.
Had Reid entered free agency, even as a budding star due to his age, a team might have wanted to pay him more than the non-taxpayer midlevel exception (which comes with a starting salary of $12.4 million). The Timberwolves gave him a bit extra for a hometown discount, as Reid will make $13 million in 2023-24, $14 million in 2024-25, and will then have a $15 million option in 2025-26.
For both parties, this is risk-averse and a win-win for both Reid and the Minnesota Timberwolves, as he would be a free agent as a 26-year-old, which is still young in the NBA.
