Naz Reid’s name is already floating around the trade market, and the Charlotte Hornets may not be in any rush to shut that conversation down.
The Hornets have stumbled out of the gate this season after coming in with high expectations, and that kind of start usually leads to questions about the roster. Reid, who arrived in Charlotte this offseason in the LaMelo Ball trade, has emerged as a possible piece the team could move if it decides to reshape things around other players.
There’s also some flexibility built into Reid’s contract. Including this season, he has four years remaining, and the money is manageable by today’s standards. He is set to make $25 million next season, $26.7 million in 2028-29, and then holds a player option for $28.4 million in 2029-30.
If Charlotte does decide to shop him, there should be interest. Reid’s mix of size and shooting gives him appeal, and a few teams could see him as the kind of frontcourt upgrade that changes the shape of their rotation.
One obvious fit is Golden State. The Warriors are looking for another big man, and Reid would give them a useful two-way option as they try to keep Stephen Curry’s title window open. His shooting would make him a natural fit in their system, and Golden State has enough pieces on the roster to put together a deal Charlotte might consider.
Cleveland is another team that makes sense. The Cavaliers already have a strong frontcourt, but there has been talk about splitting up Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. A swap involving Allen and Reid could work for both sides, with Reid sliding next to Mobley as a stretch big while Charlotte would get a more traditional center.
Then there’s Los Angeles, where Reid has been linked repeatedly. The Lakers need another big man behind Walker Kessler, and Reid’s defensive presence could help round out the roster.
With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves already in place, Los Angeles could use more size and defense, and Reid would bring both. The challenge would be what the Lakers can actually send back to Charlotte, since their future assets are limited.
In Other News...
Hornets Get Caught In A Suns Reunion With Extra Tension
The Suns arrive in Charlotte riding the momentum of a win over the Clippers, but this one carries a little more edge than a routine East-West stop. The Hornets are dealing with a long injury list, while Phoenix will be without Mark Williams because of offseason surgery, setting up a matchup that already has a different feel because of the personnel on both sides.
The trade that sent Miles Bridges to Phoenix and brought Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale to Charlotte still hangs over this meeting, especially with both teams continuing to sort out roles and rotation pieces around the deal. Jordan Ott has already talked about the value Allen and O'Neale can bring, and Bridges has been part of that same conversation from the Suns side, which gives this game a little extra tension even before the ball goes up. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Let A Winnable Game Slip Away For One Frustrating Reason
The Hornets had enough going for them in Phoenix to make this one feel winnable for long stretches. They rebounded well, shot the 3-ball effectively and took care of business at the line, the kind of ingredients that usually give a young team a chance on the road. Even with injuries forcing lineup shuffling, there were encouraging signs from the supporting cast and a promising look from Coby White before his night was kept in check.
What ultimately undid Charlotte was the part of the game that tends to travel the worst for a team still learning how to close. The ball kept slipping away at the wrong times, and the late-game execution never settled in enough to protect the lead it had built. For a Hornets group trying to patch together a rotation and find some consistency, the frustration was less about effort than about a familiar, self-inflicted problem that turned a manageable night into another missed opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Grayson Allen Returns To Phoenix With Something To Prove
Grayson Allens return to Phoenix carries a little extra weight for the Hornets, even if the season has already moved on from the offseason trade that brought him to Charlotte. Allen left behind a memorable run with the Suns, including a career night when he poured in 42 points and came close to the franchise mark for made 3-pointers in a game, and he has since settled into a valuable veteran role for a Charlotte team trying to steady itself through injuries.
For the Hornets, Allens presence has mattered beyond the box score because he has brought experience and consistency to a roster that has needed both. The reunion also adds a layer of intrigue for Charlotte, since Allen was appreciative of his time in Phoenix and now gets a chance to remind his old team what it gave up, even if the full story of that move still hangs over the matchup. [Read more 🡒]