The Minnesota Timberwolves (8-3) host the Dallas Mavericks tonight, a little more than four months after the trade that sent Naz Reid to Charlotte and brought LaMelo Ball to Minnesota.

Unlike Ball’s first few weeks as a member of the Wolves, Naz’s first impression of the Hornets has not been great, and vice versa. The problems surrounding Reid in Charlotte got ugly early, when on Oct. 28 in Detroit, Hornets head coach Charles Lee sat Reid for the entire second half of a 97-89 loss, despite seven points and six rebounds in 13 first-half minutes.

“Unfortunately, [Reid] didn’t meet our standards in the first half, and at halftime we made the decision that he wouldn’t play in the second half.”

Naz Reid came to Minnesota as an undrafted free agent out of LSU in 2019 and won Sixth Man of the Year in 2023-24, then re-signed with the Timberwolves in 2025 on a five-year, $125 million deal. A year later, he was traded.

Could Naz Reid be on the move again?

While it’s no secret at this point that the transition for Naz to Hornets “culture” has been tough. However, according to Jon Krawczynski (The Athletic), things are already so bad that “the possibilities of Naz getting traded are very high.”

“The Hornets now are clearly in a period of transition, and they decided that LaMelo [Ball] was not going to be a part of the team that they believe can eventually get to real contender status. They made a decision with that core group that they were not good enough as constructed, and so they had to take a step back, amass some assets and go forward and what that also means means is…the possibilities of Naz getting traded again are very high. This is a roster that I think is going to change over quite a bit over the next couple of years as the Hornets look for the right combination of people to really vault into what they hope is contention. I think you can say that Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel are going to be there. Beyond that, who knows?”

It’s worth noting that Reid bounced back on Monday with 25 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two steals in 32 minutes of a 124-112 win over Cleveland. He shot 10-of-26 from the field and 4-of-9 from three in that game. Through 11 games, Reid is averaging 17.4 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 41.1% from the field and 36.5% from three. Charlotte is 4-7.

Reid’s contract would be part of any future deal. He’s not super-expensive, but not cheap either. At $23,275,862 this season, he’s making a starter salary that climbs to $28,448,276 by 2029-30, when he has a player option.

Krawczynski also said (in the episode above) that everything that made “the Naz Reid experience” special in Minnesota is not in Charlotte, not that it’s anyone’s fault. Reid didn’t come up through the Hornets’ G League team and come up as an undrafted Cinderella story that surprised the organization and fanbase, making him even easier to root for.

Naz Reid will be chasing that Minnesota high for his entire career, until he comes back?

That’s not the case where he is now. For the Hornets and their fanbase, Reid is signed for big(ish) money, and was sold as the centerpiece of a trade that lost them LaMelo Ball, who is now thriving here. If Naz is going to win over fans in Charlotte, he and needs to do it with his play.

So far, outside of his big game Monday, that’s been the hard part, especially given the early issues and confrontations he’s had with his new head coach and the current rebuild Charlotte is going through.

“He is not the diamond in the rough that was uncovered by the organization, so there isn’t that pride that goes with it. So he’s just got to go there and ball out and win fans over with just his pure skill level, and it’s just a much different atmosphere for him. And so I unfortunately think [Reid]’s probably going to be chasing that feeling the rest of his life, no matter where else he goes, unless he comes back here.”

For those hoping this article ended with speculation that Naz Reid could land back with the Timberwolves, don’t hold your breath. The money would be the first issue, fit would be the next.

Don’t hold your breath…

Had Minnesota failed to sign Jonathan Kuminga, and still had a glaring hole at power forward, you’d have to think Tim Connelly may have already made the call, if not just to check in. Of course, that is not the case.

The Wolves did land Kuminga in early September on a two-year deal, and he has played well, averaging 12.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 40.8% from three.

Behind him, Trey Lyles has been the surprise of 2026-27 so far. After a season with Real Madrid, he has stepped in on a one-year minimum deal and held down Minnesota’s second unit in a way that nobody would have thought possible the day he put pen to paper. Through 11 games, the former Kentucky standout is averaging 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 18.5 minutes off the bench.