The Charlotte Hornets made their biggest swing of the offseason by moving on from franchise guard LaMelo Ball, along with Josh Green, in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In return, Charlotte landed 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 down the road for Charlotte. But right now, the Hornets are stuck in the middle.
They’re 3-4 and tied with the Atlanta Hawks for seventh in the Eastern Conference, a spot that points more toward a play-in battle than a clean climb. With the East looking stronger than it has in recent seasons, this feels like a team headed for a first-round exit if it gets that far.
That’s why the next move should be obvious: if Charlotte keeps leaning into the rebuild, Reid is the kind of player it should shop before February’s deadline. And if he’s available, the Portland Trail Blazers ought to be in the mix.
Joe Cronin has shown a clear preference for players with more than one season left on their deals, and Reid fits that mold. He’s owed $75 million over the next three seasons, with a $28.5 million player option in 2029-30. That kind of contract gives Portland the kind of long-term control it usually wants.
The part that makes this interesting is Scoot Henderson. Portland didn’t reach a rookie-scale extension with him before the season, which means he’s headed for restricted free agency next summer. That puts his future with the Blazers in a murky spot, especially with the way the guard rotation has developed.
Before Ja Morant’s injury, Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Morant were working well together. Now that Morant is out for at least a month, Henderson has a real opening this November to show he belongs in that group. So far, though, he hasn’t made the kind of leap Portland needs, and he hasn’t established himself as the primary playmaker in that backcourt.
If that doesn’t change, a Henderson-for-Reid framework starts to make a lot of sense. Henderson is becoming more movable in Portland because of the number of guards on the roster, while the Blazers still have issues up front. Donovan Clingan is matchup-dependent, and Robert Williams III has injury concerns.
Reid would help solve that. He’d give Portland a frontcourt answer, cover for Williams, and add a different look for head coach Micah Nori. He’s the stretch five they’ve been missing, and he can also slide to power forward if Nori wants to go bigger.
A straight one-for-one deal doesn’t quite clear the Spotrac NBA Trade Machine, since Portland’s incoming salary is reportedly over the limit by $0.59 million. That’s a front-office problem to untangle. But as the basic outline of a deal, Henderson for Reid makes increasing sense for both sides.
Henderson would get a fresh start and an offense he could run, while Charlotte would get a chance to find a long-term answer after Ball. Portland would turn Henderson’s looming restricted free agency into Reid’s long-term contract, while also addressing its frontcourt depth and shooting needs.
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There are reasons to think the Blazers could feel the strain. The slate is packed, the opponents are varied, and the articles segment-by-segment projections suggest there will be little room for error as the month unfolds. Add in the uncertainty around Ja Morants injury situation and the road-heavy nature of the schedule, and Portlands next few weeks look less like a victory lap than a real test of how far this group can carry its momentum. [Read more 🡒]