The Minnesota Timberwolves made their first big splash of the offseason on Friday, extending Naz Reid on a five-year, $125 million contract with a player option in the fifth year, per ESPN's Shams Charania. Reid averaged 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists on .462/.379/.776 splits last season.
Just in: Minnesota Timberwolves' Naz Reid intends to sign a new five-year, $125 million contract to stay with the franchise, including a player option, sources tell ESPN. Critical agreement between the Wolves and Reid's agents, Sean Kennedy and Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports. pic.twitter.com/FF9MjGvwb9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 28, 2025
This was pretty much a no-brainer for the Timberwolves. Reid won Sixth Man of the Year in 2024 and should have been a far more serious contender for the same award in 2025. He is the ultimate Swiss Army Knife for Minnesota's frontcourt, carrying the backup center minutes behind Rudy Gobert, but also spending ample time next to Gobert at the four spot.
Reid, a former undrafted free agent in 2019, has emerged as an integral piece of Minnesota's competitive DNA. He doesn't really have the reputation as a clutch player, but it feels like Reid hit every big shot during the Wolves' run to the conference finals. He isn't without his warts on defense, but a floor-spacing big who can handle the ball in tight spaces, make high-level passes on the move and leverage his unique physical gifts against a variety of matchups will always have immense value in the league.
Wolves extend Naz Reid to new five-year contract
While this is excellent value under the NBA's rising cap ceiling, it does put the Wolves in a complicated position moving forward. Minnesota has a lot of expensive contracts on the books and very few draft assets to maneuver with or develop in the years to come.
Mike Conley's deal comes off the books soon and there's reason for long-term faith in Rob Dillingham, but both of Minnesota's picks in the 2025 NBA Draft — Joan Beringer at 17 and Rocco Zikarsky at 45 — were used on developmental centers who can maybe take the mantle from Rudy Gobert in a few years. Neither will help much next season, especially with the majority of frontcourt minutes allocated to Gobert, Reid and Julius Randle.
Speaking of Julius Randle, he's another upcoming free agent the Wolves need to deal with. He was stellar through two rounds of the playoffs and generally outperformed expectations after the much maligned Karl-Anthony Towns trade. But he also hit a brick wall against OKC's defense in the conference finals and has well documented flaws as a foundational piece.
If the Wolves pay Randle and Reid, as expected, with Gobert and Anthony Edwards on their own long-term deals, it becomes a bit difficult to imagine how Minnesota can build out depth on the wing and in the backcourt. That is not a reason to avoid signing Reid, whose contract is movable, but it's something Tim Connelly and the front office will need to navigate.