The Lakers called the Minnesota Timberwolves about forward Naz Reid early in the 2026 offseason but never made a serious offer, Dan Woike of The Athletic said on “The Zach Lowe Show.” Minnesota later sent Reid to Charlotte in the LaMelo Ball trade, and the Lakers spent their summer money in free agency instead.
Woike said the Lakers “were very interested in finding an offensive-minded four this summer.” He described the call as an exploratory one. The front office was looking for teams under salary pressure, figuring a player like Reid might be had at a discount if Minnesota was in a sell-off.
That opening never came. On June 25, 2026, Minnesota traded for LaMelo Ball and Josh Green, sending Charlotte Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030), and three second-round picks.
Once Reid was with the Hornets, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported that “Naz Reid is a big man the Lakers have strong interest in, sources said,” but he added that Charlotte had not told teams Reid was available.
Reid, the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year, averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 2025-26, shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from three. He is playing on a five-year, $125 million contract. The Lakers ended up filling that role by signing Sandro Mamukelashvili to a cheaper four-year, $52 million deal.
The Lakers Wanted Reid Only at a Discount
The Lakers liked Reid, but only at a discount. Their whole approach depended on Minnesota needing to shed salary. Minnesota did the opposite: it used Reid as the main player in a deal for a star, so the cut-rate version of Reid the Lakers were hoping for never existed.
What they did instead shows how they rank cost against fit. Mamukelashvili’s deal averages $13 million a year. Reid’s averages $25 million.
The Lakers are betting that a less proven player can give them most of the offense they wanted from the power forward spot at about half the yearly cost, without giving up any assets in a trade. That keeps their flexibility intact, but the position is now riding on a player with a much shorter track record than the one they first called about.
Charlotte Controls Any Revisit
Reid now plays for the Hornets. Any new pursuit would go through Charlotte, which had not shown it was open to moving him as of Siegel’s June report. None of the reporting points to active talks or a timeline for a renewed push.
Source: Dan Woike of The Athletic, The Zach Lowe Show
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