January 29 is shaping up as one of those dates Timberwolves fans won’t just notice - they’ll mark it down and wait for it.
That night at Target Center brings Naz Reid back to Minnesota, and if the reaction matches the bond he built over seven seasons with the Timberwolves, it could be the loudest welcome ever for a visiting NBA player. Reid is one of the most beloved figures the franchise has ever had, and that affection only grew after he turned himself into one of the team’s most productive players despite arriving in the league undrafted in 2019.
His Minnesota run ended in June, when the Timberwolves sent Reid to the Charlotte Hornets in a deal that brought LaMelo Ball to Minnesota. The move gave the Wolves the playmaker they’d needed for a while, but it also meant parting with a player who became a fan favorite in every sense of the word.
Reid’s connection with the city goes way beyond the box score. People in Minnesota have tattoos of his name.
He made a towel with his name on it feel iconic. And he went from an out-of-shape rookie to a player who completely reshaped his body and carved out a major place in franchise history.
The numbers back up just how far he climbed. Reid is in the Timberwolves’ all-time top 10 in games played, points, rebounds, blocks, and made 3-pointers. He ranks sixth in games played, ninth in points, seventh in rebounds, fifth in blocks, and third in made 3-pointers.
He also did it while embracing a role that never guaranteed headlines. Reid never publicly complained about coming off the bench, and he became one of the NBA’s best reserves.
In 2023-24, he became the first Timberwolves player to win Sixth Man of the Year, after finishing fifth and fourth in the voting in the previous two seasons. Even with just 34 starts over the last three years, he still knocked down at least 162 3-pointers in each of those seasons.
There was a stretch when it looked like Minnesota might finally give him a bigger role. After Julius Randle was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Reid seemed poised to step into a full-time starting job. But the Hornets deal followed soon after, and Reid was on the move before that opportunity could take shape.
Charlotte also traded Miles Bridges this offseason, which appears to clear the path for Reid to start there. If that’s how it plays out, he should be the final name announced in Charlotte’s lineup on January 29 - and the Timberwolves’ own introduction may have to wait a beat, because the crowd figure to make its feelings very clear.
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For a team coming off a playoff appearance, the hope is that chemistry off the floor carries over once the games count. Goberts clips offered exactly the kind of small but encouraging snapshot supporters like to see in August: a group getting in work together, staying connected, and treating the offseason as more than just a break before camp. [Read more 🡒]
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The wrinkle is that the first meeting on Oct. 31 will not be nationally televised, a decision that is likely to stir the usual debate about how the NBA chooses to showcase its most marketable young teams. From a basketball standpoint, it is the kind of game that can tell you something real about both sides, especially with Minnesota trying to blend its new pieces and San Antonio continuing to build around Wembanyama. Even before the games tip off, it already feels like one of those matchups the league may end up wishing it had put in a bigger spotlight. [Read more 🡒]