Naz Reid’s time with the Minnesota Timberwolves left a mark that goes well beyond the box score, and the idea of his No. 11 someday hanging in the rafters doesn’t feel far-fetched at all.
Reid’s path made him easy to root for from the start. He arrived as an overweight, undrafted player and turned that into seven productive seasons in a Timberwolves uniform. Even after he’s gone, he’ll still be remembered in Minnesota as a folk hero.
The sting of trading him was real, even with LaMelo Ball giving the Wolves the star-level playmaker they had been chasing for years. Reid is 27 on August 26, and there’s always a chance he could find his way back to the club someday. But if he doesn’t, the question becomes whether Minnesota eventually honors him with a jersey retirement.
Jack Borman of the Locked on Wolves podcast thinks the answer should be yes. As he put it, “The Timberwolves should retire #11 https://t.co/Suo7X0P83S”
There’s a real argument for it, too. Minnesota has not retired many numbers.
Right now, the only ones in the rafters are Malik Sealy’s No. 2 and No. 6, which is retired league-wide in honor of Bill Russell. Kevin Garnett’s No. 21 will be added at some point during the 2026-27 season after he reconciled with the club.
A few other names are also in the conversation for the future. Karl-Anthony Towns’ No. 32 and Kevin Love’s No. 42 will likely be considered once they retire, and Anthony Edwards’ No. 5 almost certainly will be retired down the line.
Reid’s case rests on both production and popularity. In 2023-24, he became the first Minnesota player to win Sixth Man of the Year.
He also helped the Wolves reach back-to-back conference finals in 2024 and 2025. On the franchise lists, he sits third in 3-pointers made with 731, fifth in blocks with 445, sixth in games with 483, seventh in rebounds with 2,460, and ninth in points with 5,745.
But the numbers only tell part of it. Reid’s connection with the fan base was something else entirely.
“Two Words: Naz Reid” showed up on T-shirts and other merchandise. Fans waved beach towels with his name on them even away from Timberwolves games.
Some even tattooed his name on their bodies.
If Minnesota ever does announce his jersey retirement years from now, it’s hard to imagine much pushback. It would be a night built around appreciation for a player who became a symbol of what Timberwolves fans love most: the underdog who turned himself into something bigger.
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