How Naz Reid Can Ensure the Hornets Win the LaMelo Ball Trade

The Charlotte Hornets sent everyone into a frenzy when they traded LaMelo Ball and Josh Green for picks and Naz Reid, most notably their fans. Supporters were sufficiently gobsmacked that Charlotte traded the franchise player fresh off his and the team's best season.

Part of the shock was an initial underwhelming sense for the return. Naz Reid is a solid player and has been one of the best bench bigs in the NBA for a while, but a sixth man in return for a borderline All-NBA guard?

That puts Reid in an unenviable position. He's the guy that Ball got traded for, so he has a lot of work to do to win over fans and convince everyone that the Hornets made the smart decision to flip Ball for him.

There are two main ways he can do that. First, he needs to have his best season yet. He will likely be a starter, and he'll probably benefit from the spacing Charles Lee's squad is certain to have. With that, a career year isn't out of the question.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) during pregame warmups against the Charlotte Hornets | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

His best year so far was 2024-25, when he averaged 14.2 points (in 27.5 minutes per game), 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.6 stocks, all while shooting 46.2% from the field and 37.9% from three.

But in that season, he averaged 18.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per 36 minutes, which isn't even his best per-36 season. Either way, the uptick in minutes he's sure to get in Charlotte should lead to an uptick in production.

A 17/8/3 season while shooting over 45% from the field and over 40% from three is not out of the question, and if he can produce along those lines, it'll help win Hornets fans over.

The second thing has a little bit to do with him, but much more with everyone else. If the Hornets can make the playoffs or at least have a better record this season, then the Reid trade will age a little better in everyone's eyes.

Part of what is so frustrating about this trade is that Ball led them to 44 wins and a Play-In Tournament win. It was the best season in ages, and now, seemingly, they're going to be worse after flipping Ball for Reid.

So, if the team does better than that by record or by Eastern Conference seeding, then it'll become a lot easier to swallow the Ball trade and welcome Reid into the fold.

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