Bleacher Report has Naz Reid slotted at No. 82 in its ranking of the NBA’s top players, putting the new Charlotte Hornets big man just ahead of Oklahoma City guard Cason Wallace and just behind Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell.
Charlotte landed Reid in the blockbuster LaMelo Ball trade, and head coach Charles Lee is already sold on what he brings. Lee praised Reid’s game, his personality and how smoothly he’s settled in with his new team.
"He's a joy to work with and to have on our team," Hornets head coach Charles Lee said about Reid. "The versatility of Naz has been displayed in so many different ways, defensively and offensively.
The human being, he's phenomenal. I had a couple dinners with him and he'll get talking to you and telling stories and you can just tell he loves the game.
"He loves his teammates. He's really excited to get here. With any transition, it takes some time to get yourself acclimated, but he's fit in perfectly and our group has done a great job of bringing him along."
Reid comes to Charlotte as the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year, and the numbers back up why he’s viewed as such a valuable piece. He enters the season with regular-season averages of 11.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, plus playoff averages of 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
His work for Minnesota last season was even stronger. Reid averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 45.6% from the field, 36.2% from beyond the arc and 73.2% from the free-throw line. He also finished with six double-doubles.
The Hornets are paying him $23,275,862 this season, and multiple teams reportedly tried to pry him away from Charlotte. Instead, the Hornets are keeping the power forward in place as part of what should be a newly retooled core.
On paper, the projected starting five of Coby White, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Reid and Moussa Diabaté gives Charlotte a lot to work with. But the real pressure sits on Miller and Knueppel, who now profile as the franchise centerpieces with Ball and Miles Bridges gone.
Miller, the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, played 65 games last season and posted 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 43.5% from the field, 38.3% from 3-point range and 89.2% from the line. He enters the season with career averages of 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
Knueppel also turned in a strong year for Charlotte even though he didn’t win the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award. The swingman averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from deep and 86.3% at the foul line. He led the NBA in 3-pointers.
Charlotte will find out quickly where this group stands, opening the 2026-27 season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets before its home opener against the Atlanta Hawks.
And while Reid’s scoring is only one part of the equation, it’s a big one. Over the last three seasons, he has averaged 19.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per 75 possessions. If that production carries over, it would give Charlotte a real shot at replacing some of Ball’s output and giving this new-look roster a much firmer foundation.
In Other News...
Brandon Miller Just Put Serious Pressure On The Hornets
Brandon Millers emergence has put Charlotte in a familiar but important spot: the Hornets now have a young cornerstone worth paying like one. Miller is eligible for a five-year, $275 million extension, and after a season in which he averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists, the team has every reason to treat this as more than a routine contract decision. With LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges already moved out in the roster overhaul, Miller has moved closer to the center of everything Charlotte wants to build.
The timing matters because the Hornets are expected to open the season with a newly constructed lineup that includes Miller alongside Coby White, Kon Knueppel, Naz Reid and Moussa Diabat. If no deal comes together, Miller will be headed toward restricted free agency next offseason, and that creates a real test for a franchise trying to reset while also locking in its best young piece. For Charlotte, the next step is not just about keeping Miller happy, but about proving the new version of the roster has a clear direction. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Miller Faces One Huge Test As Hornets Bet On His Leap
LaMelo Balls move to Minnesota leaves Charlotte with a different kind of offensive center of gravity, and Brandon Miller is now the player the Hornets are counting on to help carry it. Entering the new season, Miller was ranked No. 49 on Bleacher Reports list of top NBA players, a reminder that he already has leaguewide respect even as the next step in his game becomes the bigger storyline for this team.
For the Hornets, the bet is straightforward: Miller has to score more and create more, because Charlottes push toward the playoffs starts with someone turning promise into nightly production. If he makes that leap, the conversation around the Hornets changes fast, especially for a franchise trying to end a drought that has stretched for more than a decade. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Miller Is Giving Hornets Fans A Reason To Believe
Brandon Millers return from a shin contusion gave Hornets fans an early reminder of why he is such an important part of Charlottes future. In the preseason win over Milwaukee, he put up 18 points in 23 minutes and looked like a player settling back in quickly, with the kind of comfort and activity that can carry over once the games start to matter.
Charles Lee liked what he saw from Miller on both ends, particularly the way he stayed involved defensively and offensively. Miller said his confidence is growing with the effort and winning plays he is stringing together, and for a Hornets team looking for reasons to believe, that matters just as much as the box score. [Read more 🡒]