Hornets get fan favorite for LaMelo
Ball
Wendell Moore Jr., Naz Reid and Josh Minott (8) of the Minnesota Timberwolves enjoy a lighthearted moment in the fourth quarter Oct. 17, 2023, at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn.
Two words.
Goodbye Naz.
This trade will leave some emotional baggage in the wake.
The Timberwolves parted with fan favorite Naz Reid in a blockbuster deal that brings star point guard LaMelo Ball to Minnesota.
From a rational perspective, this move makes sense. The Wolves desperately needed a point guard to play alongside Anthony Edwards. A backcourt tandem of Edwards and Ball represents a dynamic duo that could elevate a team that is operating inside a championship window.
The Wolves also got the best player in the trade. Put in simplest terms, the Wolves traded a valuable sixth man for an All-Star point guard.
The emotional side of trades is hard to separate from rational explanations because fans oftentimes feel attachment to the departing player. And very few players in any sport enjoy such a deep, authentic connection that Reid shared with Wolves fandom.
There will be plenty of time to assess Tim Connelly's latest seismic trade, the fit of Ball with Edwards, financial ramifications and what additional moves are needed to address a suddenly thin frontcourt.
Let's pause to reflect and appreciate the Reid part of this trade, about how a player went from being undrafted to inspiring people to get his name tattooed on their bodies and bringing signs bearing his name to sporting events all over the world.
True story: As the Vikings warmed up before their game against the New York Jets in London in 2024, a fan raised a "Naz Reid" beach towel in the end zone.
That happened a lot of times in a lot of venues that had nothing to do with the Timberwolves or basketball.
Reid started only 77 games in seven seasons in a Wolves uniform, but he became easily the second-most popular player behind Edwards. He drew the loudest ovations. His replica jersey could be seen everywhere in Target Center. Crowds chanted his name.
His popularity sprouted for different reasons. He carried an underdog story as an undrafted rookie who began his career a little out of shape. He endeared himself by showing maximum effort when he was on the court. He fought for rebounds and dived for loose balls. Fans love a hustler, someone willing to battle.
A spark soon turned into a flame followed by an inferno.
Before long, the Naz Reid cult officially became a thing. It was a secret handshake, a private club that was open to everybody.
If you spotted a fan wearing a Wolves shirt in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a nod and two words — "Naz Reid" — would generate the same two-word response in return.
"It's like the 'Peace be with you, and also with you' [greeting]," fan Jordan Alamat told me back in 2023. "It's a religious experience."
The Naz Reid Effect was organic, a relationship that I set out to understand three years ago by asking fans why Reid, of all players, had burrowed so deep into their emotions.
They fell in love with his style of play, his value as a role player, his cool name.
"Two-syllable statement name," Alamat said.
When local tattoo artist JC Stroebel offered to ink Reid's name onto fans for a small fee during the playoffs two years ago, hundreds showed up. Another fan plastered a photo of Reid across the shower curtain in his bathroom because why wouldn't someone want that décor.
The manager of Parkway Pizza in northeast Minneapolis placed a sign outside the store that stated: "Honk if you love Naz Reid." That drew plenty of honking and pictures on social media.
"He's larger than life to us," fan Anji Nyquist told me in '23.
Nyquist had been a contestant on "Jeopardy!" that summer. She revealed during the episode that she named her cat NAZ REID — all caps — because the cat bounced around the room nonstop, just like Reid does on the court.
Reid had the potential to find a starting job in the summer of 2023 but chose to re-sign with the Wolves knowing he would remain a backup. He cited his love of Minnesota as a reason. He kept developing and won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award. The bond between player and fanbase deepened.
"It really has become this phenomenon," Nyquist said. "There's no other way to describe it."
Reid appeared prime to start at power forward next season after Wolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly traded Julius Randle earlier this week. The expectation was that Reid's role would increase with more playing time. Now he will be wearing a different uniform.
That news leaves Naz fans conflicted. Alamat understands the basketball logic of the trade. Trading for a player of Ball's stature requires giving up substantial assets. This one stings.
"The Naz Reid story has been electrifying," Alamat said. "It's been an Oscar award winner in my opinion. To say goodbye to that, you have to put on your sport brain and turn off your heart."
Not completely. Distance won't make them stop cheering, or adding to their collection of Reid jerseys.
"Naz in the vintage Charlotte jersey is going to be super hot," Alamat said. "That's a nice consolation prize, a new jersey in the closest. Especially if they have a classic edition Naz. Oof. It's game over. I'm going to look good. We're all going to look good."
