Naz Reid hasn’t played a game for the Charlotte Hornets yet, and he’s already making the kind of impression that travels fast in a locker room.
That was part of Reid’s calling card with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he became one of the team’s most popular players while also carving out a real role on the floor. Now he’s in Charlotte, and the early read from inside the building is that the same vibe is taking hold.
Sion James, one of Reid’s new teammates, has spent time working alongside him this offseason, and that close-up view has already explained a lot. Reid’s game is easy to notice - he’s a big man who can hurt defenses from the perimeter, and that unusual jumper, the one where he doesn’t leave the floor all that much, has helped him pile up points. But James is talking just as much about the person as the player.
"Naz is a quiet guy for the most part, but at the end of the day, he loves us, he cares about basketball, and he cares for his teammates. He has gotten to talking more and more with us. I see why they love him so much up in Minnesota, and I'm sure our fans here will too," James said about Reid to Danielle Stein of WCNC.
Reid’s value in Minnesota went well beyond reputation. He was a major part of the Timberwolves’ success over the last few years, with his offense giving them real punch. In Charlotte, that same skill set could give him room to take another step.
For now, though, the first win has already been earned: he’s got teammates buying in before the season even starts. And if Reid produces the way Charlotte thinks he can, that early goodwill could grow quickly. The Hornets may not be carrying huge expectations, but Reid has a chance to change the temperature around them.
In Other News...
Chris Finch Now Faces A Wolves Challenge He Cant Ease Into
With Naz Reid gone, Chris Finch is being asked to reshape the Timberwolves interior rotation while also keeping an eye on how the roster is shifting around him. One of the biggest immediate changes is Joan Beringer stepping into a larger backup center role, and Finch has been candid about the fact that Beringer is still very much in the growth stage of his career. It is the kind of adjustment a coach can usually ease into over time, but the Wolves do not have that luxury now.
Finch also has to layer in a new look after the additions of LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga, which means the old habits and old answers are not going to carry over cleanly. He has already pointed back to the challenges of last season and the changes on his staff, including Pablo Prigionis promotion to lead assistant coach, as part of the broader reset. The Wolves are trying to build a different sort of identity, and Finchs job now is to make those moving parts fit fast. [Read more 🡒]
Wolves Camp Cut Creates An Awkward Iowa Wolves Question
Minnesotas camp roster continues to take shape, and one of the more routine parts of that process arrived this week when Stephen Thompson was waived by the Timberwolves, according to the NBAs official transaction log. Thompson had only recently signed a non-guaranteed training camp deal, the kind of move that often signals a chance to compete in camp while keeping the door open to a G League path if the NBA roster does not stick.
For the Wolves, the next step is where things get a little less straightforward. Thompson could still end up with the Iowa Wolves, but that route depends on a rights issue that has to be sorted out through Wisconsin before he can suit up for Minnesotas G League affiliate this season. It is the sort of small but important roster wrinkle that often sits in the background of camp cuts, and for Iowa, it could determine whether a familiar developmental opportunity is actually available. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Might Be Walking Into The Perfect Wolves Situation
Jonathan Kuminga arrives in Minnesota with a profile that still invites optimism, even if his shooting track record has been uneven. He has generally been a below-average three-point shooter in his NBA career, with one notable exception in 2022-23, and his two-point efficiency has also drifted the wrong way in recent seasons. For a Timberwolves team looking to squeeze more value out of pace, movement and playmaking, that makes him a fascinating fit rather than a finished product.
The appeal is obvious: the Wolves can put him in a faster offense and try to create simpler scoring chances, especially around the basket where his finishing has been more inconsistent lately. If Minnesota can help him get back to the easier looks that once made his scoring pop, the move could look far smarter than a simple change of scenery. The bigger question is whether the conditions are finally right for that rebound to happen. [Read more 🡒]