Charlotte Hornets big man Naz Reid discussed how Charles Lee has helped his transition to the team.
After trading away star guard LaMelo Ball, the Charlotte Hornets have a new look to them coming into the NBA season.
Ball was the face of the franchise for years, and without him, 2026-27 will kick off a new era of Hornets basketball. Charlotte felt comfortable making the trade, and they did get back a solid player in big man Naz Reid.
Reid will now lead the Hornets' frontcourt this season, and he is looking to prove himself as well. Many people are counting out the Hornets in the Eastern Conference this season, but this group has real confidence entering the year.
But this will be a new experience for Reid, coming to a new team for the first time in his NBA career. With this, there will be an adjustment period, but the Hornets have worked hard to help make him as comfortable as possible.
Reid said that Hornets head coach Charles Lee has embraced him since the trade went down, making him feel wanted in Charlotte. The big man said that this has helped him with the transition from Minnesota to the Hornets, and that the team has started to bond more over the offseason.
The veteran played in 77 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, putting up 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Reid has mainly been a Sixth Man over his career with Minnesota, but he will be given a larger role this year with the Hornets.
The veteran won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2024 with the Timberwolves, and he will be looking to bring this type of energy to the Hornets. If Reid can step up to the role that the Hornets believe he can, this team could compete for a postseason spot.
Charlotte believes that Reid can be the missing piece in the frontcourt, providing a boost on both ends of the floor. Part of why the team traded Ball was to land someone like Reid, and he can make this team more well-rounded.
While he isn't the talent that Ball was, Reid does help this group in different ways that the former guard couldn't. Reid can impact the defense, opening up better shot attempts on offense, and this is an area that Charlotte wanted to improve on.
Charlotte hasn't made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season, but this group will try to break the trend. The new NBA year for the Hornets will start on October 21 against the Brooklyn Nets on the road.
