The Charlotte Hornets made their biggest swing of the offseason by moving on from franchise guard LaMelo Ball and Josh Green, sending both to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a deal that brought back Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps, and three second-round picks.
It was a bold reset, and one that could pay off over time for Charlotte. But in the short term, the Hornets are stuck in the middle.
They’re 3-4, tied with the Atlanta Hawks for seventh in the Eastern Conference, and look headed toward a first-round playoff exit if they get through the play-in at all. The East has been better this season than it has been in past years, and Charlotte doesn’t look built to do much more than hang around.
That’s why Reid is the kind of player the Hornets should consider moving before February’s deadline if they commit to the seller’s route. And if they do, the Portland Trail Blazers should be in the mix.
Portland’s front office has shown a clear preference for players who come with more than a short-term rental attached, and Reid fits that mold. He’s on a manageable deal with $75 million owed over the next three seasons, plus a $28.5 million player option in 2029-30.
On the other side of the idea sits Scoot Henderson, who may be the kind of trade chip Portland can actually use here. The Blazers did not come to terms with Henderson on a rookie-scale extension before the season, which puts him on track for restricted free agency next summer. That uncertainty matters, especially with the way the guard group of Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and Ja Morant was functioning before Morant’s injury.
Morant is expected to miss at least a month, and this November stretch gives Henderson a real opening to show he belongs with the young core. So far, though, he hasn’t taken advantage of it. He hasn’t stepped forward as the primary playmaker in that backcourt, and that could change how Portland views him.
If that trend continues, a Henderson-for-Reid framework starts to make a lot of sense. Henderson has become more movable in Portland because of the number of guards on the roster, while the Blazers still have clear issues up front.
Donovan Clingan is matchup dependent, and Robert Williams III has injury concerns. That leaves room for help in the frontcourt.
Reid would fill that need. He’d give Portland insurance behind Williams, add a stretch-five element they’ve been missing, and even give head coach Micah Nori the option to play him at power forward in bigger lineups.
A straight one-for-one deal doesn’t quite work on the Spotrac NBA Trade Machine, since Portland’s incoming salary goes over the limit by $0.59 million. That’s a front-office wrinkle to figure out, but as a general idea, the Henderson-Reid swap checks a lot of boxes.
Henderson would get a fresh start and an offense of his own to run, Charlotte would get a chance to find a long-term answer after Ball, and Portland would turn Henderson’s looming restricted free agency into a long-term commitment in Reid while also addressing frontcourt depth and shooting.
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For Portland, the appeal is easy to see. Markkanen would fit into the kind of forward-thinking move that could accelerate a reset without forcing the Blazers to abandon the long view entirely. Golden State has also been mentioned in the same breath, which only underscores how much interest a player of his caliber could draw if Utah decides to listen. The real question is not whether Markkanen would make sense for Portland, but whether the Jazz are ready to make a call that changes the market. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Just Got The Reset They Desperately Needed
Micah Nori is making a notable change in Portlands backcourt, turning to Scoot Henderson in the starting lineup while trimming Jrue Holidays minutes. It is the kind of adjustment that says as much about the Blazers present as it does their future, with Henderson now getting a bigger stage to show why the organization made him the No. 3 pick in 2023 after his season with the G League Ignite.
For Portland, the move adds another layer to the ongoing conversation about Hendersons long-term fit and whether he can settle into the point guard role the franchise has been projecting for him. Holidays reduced workload opens the door for a different look in the backcourt, and Henderson now has a chance to make his case in real time as the Blazers keep sorting out how their guard rotation should look going forward. [Read more 🡒]