Naz Ried may not be the most popular name in the NBA, but that doesn't stop him from being one of the most impactful reserve players in the NBA. On Saturday night against the Charlotte Hornets, Reid made sure to make fans remember his name.

During the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves and Hornets game, Reid hit a spectacular twirling alley-oop dunk that got the NBA world talking.

Reid finished the night with 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist on 54/60/50 shooting from the field.

Reid's Impact With the Timberwolves This Season

So far throughout five games, Reid is actually having one of his least impactful seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In five games, Reid is averaging 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals on 40/25/58 shooting from the field.

Surprisingly, these numbers are Reid's worst numbers since the 2021-22 NBA season. In that year, Reid averaged 8.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. 

Even though Reid is technically considered struggling, it's very important to note that it's still very early in the season. The fact that he just put up 18 points in his most recent game against the Charlotte Hornets should be volume enough.

Reid's Future With the Minnesota Timberwolves 

In July 2025, Reid signed a five-year $125 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. His contract extends all the way to the 2029-30 season, where the Timberwolves have a player option on his $28 million deal.

In all likelihood, it's in the Timberwolves' best interest to keep Reid for as long as possible since they lost Karl Anthony-Towns in a trade to the New York Knicks. While Rudy Gobert may be the starting lineup for the Timberwolves, Reid provides an entirely different dimension.

Similar to Towns, Reid can both space the floor and attack the paint at the same time. Not only that, but Reid 

What's Next for the Wolves

After Saturday night's win against the Charlotte Hornets, the Timberwolves have a somewhat easy next 10 games coming up.

Over the next 10 games, the Timberwolves face off against the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz,  Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, and the Phoenix Suns.

There is a realistic chance that the Wolves can go 8-2 over their next 10 games, and that would immediately propel them to the top of the NBA's Western Conference.