Hornets Have 2 Trade Chips Ranked Ahead of Naz Reid

Two 2033 first-round picks rank ahead of Naz Reid on the Charlotte Hornets' list in a Bleacher Report ranking of every NBA team's top trade assets, published Wednesday by Grant Hughes.

The pick from the Phoenix Suns is first, the pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves is second, and Reid is third.

Hughes wrote that Reid made the list as a plus starter who will make less than 15% of the salary cap through 2029-30, not because of the night Hornets coach Charles Lee benched him.

A frontcourt player who can space the floor and attack off the dribble is always in demand, according to Hughes, and Charlotte would shop Reid long before Kon Knueppel or Brandon Miller.

If the Hornets want to add help instead, Hughes wrote, the two 2033 picks are their best chips. He added that he would trust Minnesota more than Phoenix to still be respectable seven years from now.

Charlotte acquired Reid from Minnesota on June 25 in the trade that sent LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Timberwolves. The Hornets also got Minnesota's unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three future first-round pick swaps, and three second-round picks.

Three days later, Charlotte agreed to send Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick to Phoenix for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, and the Suns' unprotected 2033 first. The teams announced the deal July 13.

Reid had agreed to a five-year, $125 million extension with Minnesota in June 2025, and the Ball trade was the first of his career. He is making $23,275,862 this season. He turned 27 on Aug. 26.

Minnesota reached the Western Conference finals in 2024 and 2025, and Reid came to a young Charlotte roster wanting to hand that experience down.

"It's huge," Reid said at media day Sept. 28. "Kind of get a chance to kind of be myself and kind of untap into things that I get a chance to untap while being here, and also give some of that veteran experience and playoff experience to some of the younger guys as well. So kind of being able to do both."

Reid has started all eight games and is averaging 15.5 points and 8.3 rebounds. He is shooting 39.5% from the field and has made 19 of 55 3-point attempts.

He had 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists in the season opener, a 110-103 win at Brooklyn. Three nights later, he scored a season-high 23 against the Miami Heat.

In Detroit on Oct. 28, Reid had 7 points on 2-of-6 shooting in 13 minutes before Lee kept him on the bench for the second half of a 97-89 loss.

"Unfortunately, [Reid] didn't meet our standards in the first half, and at halftime we made the decision that he wouldn't play in the second half," Lee said. "But I look forward to him meeting those standards come next game."

Since then, he has scored 12 at Washington, 14 against the Philadelphia 76ers, and 13 against Detroit on Monday. Charlotte lost all three.

The Pistons won Monday's game 124-91 at Spectrum Center, and the Hornets have lost four straight. They are 3-5.

Charlotte visits the Brooklyn Nets at 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday at Barclays Center.