The 2026-27 NBA regular season is in full swing, and that means that narratives are forming and rumors are circulating. So, let's take a break from all the wonderful stuff that is transpiring on the court, and see what the word on the street is off of it.
Naz Reid could be on the move (again)
This offseason, the Charlotte Hornets completely changed the bedrock of their roster by trading away LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. By doing this, the Hornets were saying that their current core wasn't good enough, and to reach true contention status, the team needed to reshuffle the deck.
Well, one of the marquee return pieces from those transactions, Naz Reid, may be on the move again. According to NBA Insider Jon Krawczynski, the Hornets are not done making moves, and considering Reid's rare and dynamic offensive skill set, the team may be tempted to move him to a contender for additional assets.
I don't really fault the Hornets for this approach. At 27 years old, it isn't a guarantee that Reid fits the timeline of the next great Hornets team. On top of that, as Krawczynski noted, the new home may be causing Reid to regress. He's averaging a career-best 17.3 PPG, but it is coming on the worst efficiency (49% true shooting) of his career. Some of this is likely the byproduct of Reid having to don a larger offensive load than he has ever had to before. But part of it also could be that he hasn't moved on from his ex yet.
In a recent article for CBS, my guy Sam Quinn nominated the Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, and Cleveland Cavaliers as potential bidders in the Reid sweepstakes.
Golden State Warriors looking for replacement to Kristaps Porziņģis
As we recently discussed, the Warriors made a big mistake taking a risk on Kristaps Porziņģis, as injuries have caused the former All-Star big to step away from the game.
The thing about this situation is that the risks were always there, and the reason the Warriors could justify taking this chance is that Porziņģis' rare combination of rim protection, size, and shooting is the perfect fit alongside Draymond Green.
With Porziņģis out of the mix, the Warriors have been trying to have 40-year-old Al Horford fill the void, but, for obvious reasons, going down that avenue for an entire season likely isn't sustainable.
Reid is one of the best in class when it comes to this player archetype, but he may end up being too pricey for a Warriors team that is already up against the wall. So, if Golden State wants a bargain version of Reid, they can take a stab at Jalen Smith of the Chicago Bulls, who NBA Insider Jake Fischer says the Warriors are very much interested in.
Smith is a guy who can play center, is shooting 36.7% on nearly five threes per game, and is in the 84th percentile in block rate. He's also just 26 years old, and as someone who is making just $8.5 million this year, he is a great low-cost investment for the Warriors.
Indiana Pacers haven't lost hope
The start of the regular season has not gone according to plan for the Indiana Pacers thus far. Coming into the year, they fancied themselves as a darkhorse title contender. However, Tyrese Haliburton has missed eight of the team's 12 games, and the Pacers wouldn't even qualify for a play-in spot with their current 4-8 record.
According to Spotrac, the Pacers are seventh in total player games lost due to injury. Some people are starting to think that another season from downstairs is incoming. However, not those inside the organization, as Fischer has recently mentioned that the Pacers are already sniffing around for what they describe as "mid-tier improvements."
He did not mention what players the Pacers are after, although this would be a great landing spot for the aforementioned Reid. Regardless, no marginal move the Pacers make will matter if Haliburton can't stay on the court.
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