The Minnesota Timberwolves and Naz Reid agreed to a five-year commitment.
Naz Reid defined his career with the Minnesota Timber Wolves as he averaged 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during the 2024-25 NBA season.
After averaging career-high numbers across box scores, Reed rejected a $15 million player option with the Timberwolves.
However, Reid signed a five-year, $125 million extension with the franchise and quickly retracted his name this summer.
There’s no doubt that Reid has won every penny for his new contract extension. He will likely be the team’s starting power forward or center next season.
The Timberwolves may also be grooming him to become an alternative to the aging Rudy Gobert.
But remember that the Timberwolves also have other financial obligations. This includes Julius Randle opting for his $30.9 million player option and expanding unlimited free agent Nickeil Alexander-Walker this offseason.
“Naz Reid’s salary increases will keep both Julius Randle and Nickeil Alexander-Walker at the cost without reducing pay,” wrote Yossi Gozlan, a specialist at Hoophype’s NBA pay cap, wrote in X.
He added: “Randle opts in, and Alexander Walker will re-sign for $14.1 million (medium size), putting the wolves on a second apron and increasing taxes by $65 million.”
It’s expensive, especially considering the Timberwolves paid $90 million in luxury tax last season. They were second only to the Phoenix Suns, paying a massive $152.2 million in tax penalties.
As we are in the current situation, according to ESPN’s Bobby Mark, the Timberwolve is only $1.8 million more than the second apron.
T-Wolves later handles the situation with Randle and Alexander Walker, but the topic of the current discussion is Lead.
The Timberwolves star is set to turn 26 this season, so it will be 30 years since his current contract expires.
From that point of view, it makes sense. Plus, don’t forget that Reid was an undrafted outlook for the 2019 NBA Draft. He has gone his way to become an integral part of the Timberwolves.
| statistics | point | rebound | assist |
| 2019-20 | 9.0 ppg | 4.1 RPG | 1.2 APG |
| 2020-21 | 11.2 ppg | 4.6 RPG | 1.0 APG |
| 2021-22 | 8.3 ppg | 3.9 RPG | 0.9 APG |
| 2022-23 | 11.5 ppg | 4.9 RPG | 1.1 APG |
| 2023-24 | 13.5 ppg | 5.2 RPG | 1.3 APG |
| 2024-25 | 14.2 ppg | 6.0 RPG | 2.3 APG |
It is clear that Reid has shown great growth in his career. He also won the NBA’s sixth man award in 2024.
So yes, Reid is preparing for next season, so it deserves his huge contract extension.