Naz Reid’s name is suddenly out there in trade chatter, and that could put the Portland Trail Blazers on alert for a frontcourt upgrade that fits cleanly.
Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic said on The Jon Krawczynski Show that there is a “very high” chance the Charlotte Hornets will move Reid. He added, “The possibilities of Naz Reid getting traded again are very high,” before laying out how much change could be coming to Charlotte’s roster over the next couple of years.
“This is a roster that I think is going to change over quite a bit over the next couple of years as the Hornets look for the right combination of people to really vault what they hope is contention. I think you can say that Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel are gonna be there.
Beyond that, who knows?”
For Portland, that kind of availability matters. The Blazers still need help in the frontcourt, and Reid checks a lot of boxes as a stretch big who can play both the four and the five. That flexibility would also give the team some protection because of Robert Williams III’s injury history.
Reid would slide into a rotation that could use exactly his skill set. Portland has tried to address that need with Micah Potter, but Reid is a much more productive version of that type of player.
He’s also off to a strong start in Charlotte, posting career numbers with 17.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. The shooting is there too: he’s hitting 36.5 percent from three, which is right around his career mark.
That kind of spacing is valuable for a team built around size and decision-making. Reid is one of the league’s most dependable floor-spacing bigs, and general manager Joe Cronin has shown he likes size.
Reid’s ability to play the four should make him even more attractive, since it lets Portland lean into what it already does well. At 6-foot-9, he brings a versatile offensive package that could open lanes for players like Deni Avdija and Ja Morant, while also adding another big who can handle the ball, create a shot and run in transition.
Micah Nori has talked about the value of having multiple decision-makers on the floor at once, and Reid would fit that idea neatly. Donovan Clingan brings some of that too, especially with his court vision, but he doesn’t offer the same range of skills Reid does. Having both available, whether in separate rotations or even together, would give Portland another layer after its strong 8-3 start.
The fit is easy to miss at first glance because the Blazers already have a number of centers, but this is the kind of move Cronin seems willing to make. It also lines up with the formula that has helped Portland get off to such a strong start.
The complication, of course, is that Reid’s hot start makes him a sell-high candidate for Charlotte. Portland, though, has been stockpiling assets, and that gives it a real chance to get involved.
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Blazers Trade Talk Around Scoot Just Got More Serious
Scoot Hendersons uneven start has only kept the conversation around Portlands backcourt moving, and now the speculation has widened into something more concrete. The idea floating around is a swap with Charlotte that would send Henderson one way and Naz Reid the other, a deal built around two players whose seasons have gone in very different directions so far.
For Portland, the appeal is easy to see: Hendersons talent is still part of the long-term picture, but the early returns have made every roster question feel bigger. Reids strong play has only sharpened the comparison, and while nothing official has been reported, the mere fact that this kind of trade is being discussed says plenty about where the Blazers are in sorting out their direction. [Read more 🡒]
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The roster has been stretched by injuries across the board, with the absences of players such as Krejci, Ja Morant, Shaedon Sharpe and Chris Youngblood exposing just how little margin Portland has at the position. Trade possibilities are already being weighed, including options with the Los Angeles Clippers, but the bigger issue is straightforward: the Blazers need another wing, and they need one before the lack of depth starts dictating how they can play. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Have One Chance To Silence Doubts In Sacramento
The early-season buzz around Portland has shifted quickly, and with an 8-3 start the Trail Blazers have gone from curiosity to a team people are starting to mention in the playoff conversation. Wins have helped change the tone around this group, and the mix of established talent and rising contributors has given the roster a more credible look than many expected this soon.
Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday have provided the kind of backbone that keeps Portland steady, while younger pieces like Toumani Camara and Sidy Cissoko have added to the sense that this start is not just a hot streak. Still, the Blazers know perception in the NBA can turn fast, and the trip to Sacramento offers a chance to keep building that case against a familiar Western Conference test. [Read more 🡒]