Should the Nets Target Naz Reid In Free Agency?

In the upcoming offseason, the Brooklyn Nets will have seven expiring contracts, which means they'll have to either agree to new deals with the respective players or seek out their replacements.

One of these players is Day'Ron Sharpe, as his rookie contract is set to expire after the Nets opted to extend it in each of the previous two seasons. In the current makeup of Jordi Fernandez's squad, Sharpe plays second fiddle to Nic Claxton, as he has for the entirety of his time in the Barclays Center.

If the Nets' front office doesn't wish to re-sign Sharpe, they could look towards another backup center in the league, such as the Minnesota Timberwolves' Naz Reid.

Reid's current deal with the Timberwolves isn't guaranteed to come to an end in the offseason, as he has a player option for the 2025-26 season. However, if the 25-year-old doesn't wish to stay with the Western Conference contenders, he'll have plenty of teams asking for his signature.

The former LSU star's time in the NBA has seen him become known as a critical piece off of the bench, only managing to start in 74 of his 396 appearances since he came into the league after going undrafted in the 2019 draft.

Year over year, Reid has proved to be a consistent piece on the offensive end of the court, averaging roughly 12 points per game on an impressive 48 percent from the field, with his field goal accuracy never slipping below 41 percent in his career.

In recent seasons, Reid has started to work on his three-point shot, averaging five shots from beyond the arch per match, managing to do so on 40 percent accuracy, which is quite a bit above the positional average for a center, which sits roughly at 35 percent.

All of this work was enough for the 25-year-old to be named the Sixth Man of The Year in the 2023-24 season, beating out the likes of Malik Monk, Bobby Portis, and Norman Powell.

This isn't to say that Reid's work on the other end of the court is anything to sleep on, as he currently has a defensive rating of roughly 109, coming up with four defensive rebounds per game.

The 25-year-old's willingness to come off the bench, mixed with his overall game, is what would make him a perfect candidate for Brooklyn's front office when it comes to finding someone who will play backup to Claxton.