Kon Knueppel has barely worked with Naz Reid on the court since Charlotte's LaMelo Ball trade, but he likes what he has seen from his new teammate.
Naz Reid played seven seasons for the Minnesota Timberwolves before the June 25 trade that brought him to the Charlotte Hornets for LaMelo Ball. Kon Knueppel said Monday at media day that the two have barely worked together on the court since.
The Charlotte Hornets sent Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota. Along with Reid, Charlotte got a 2033 first-round pick with no protections, three first-round swaps, and three second-rounders.
It was the first trade of Reid's career. He was on a plane to the Bahamas when the call came, he told Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer, and he chose to stay with his family for the trip before handling business.
Knueppel Has Enjoyed Getting to Know Reid
Knueppel has enjoyed getting to know Reid off the court, even though circumstances have kept them from getting much work together.
"He just had a baby that was born," Knueppel said. "So he was out for a little bit. And then really when he came back, the whole hamstring thing happened. So I haven't been able to work with him a whole lot. But he's been really good to get to know, man, really nice guy, down to earth."
"He's trying to adjust to Charlotte," Knueppel continued. "He's been in Minnesota his whole career. And so really excited to get on the court with him. He can do a lot of things, very versatile. But also just a great guy. I enjoy the human being. He's a really good dude."
Charlotte's roster changed significantly this summer, including the trade of Ball after six seasons with the organization.
Reid Built His Career in Minnesota
Reid went undrafted out of LSU in 2019 after one college season, in which he averaged 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds for a team that won the SEC regular-season title and reached the Sweet 16. The Timberwolves signed him to a two-way contract that July.
He won Sixth Man of the Year for 2023-24, shooting 41% from 3-point range that season. In Minnesota, he spent most of his minutes backing up Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, and later Julius Randle.
Over the next two seasons, he finished fifth and fourth in the voting, and Minnesota reached the Western Conference finals in 2024 and 2025.
He averaged a career-high 14.2 points off the bench in 2024-25. Last season, Reid averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 45.6% from the field and 36.2% from 3-point range.
ESPN's annual player rankings moved him up nine spots, from No. 90 to No. 81.
Hornets Plan to Keep Reid
Shortly after the trade, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on SportsCenter that other teams had called Charlotte about Reid, and that the Hornets planned to keep him.
Reid also spoke at media day Monday, his first with Charlotte. Hoops Rumors reported in August that he is expected to move into the starting lineup in the spot Miles Bridges held before his trade to Phoenix.
Knueppel's injury is to his left hamstring. The Hornets announced Friday that it happened during offseason on-court activity and that he will miss all four preseason games before a re-evaluation in the season's opening week.
In June 2025, Reid agreed to a five-year, $125 million deal to stay with Minnesota, a contract that includes a player option for 2029-30. He will make $23,275,862 this season.
