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May 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) dribbles the ball against the Golden State Warriors in the first half during game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Timberwolves make Bill Simmons look foolish with new Naz Reid contract

Originally posted on Minnesota Timberwolves on SI
By Will Ragatz | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 2:09 PM ET

The Ringer's Bill Simmons has some crow to eat. Less than three months after Simmons adamantly claimed the Timberwolves would not be able to keep Naz Reid next season, they did just that, signing Reid to a new five-year, $125 million contract on Friday.

It was a March 6 episode of Simmons' popular podcast when he insisted that Reid was a goner after the season. He was conducting a "worst contracts in the NBA" draft with guests Joe House and Wosny Lambre, and Simmons drafted the Wolves' three-year, $109.5 million Rudy Gobert extension. That's how Reid's future came up.

"They're gonna lose Naz Reid now," Simmons said. "Naz Reid is gone. Like, he's done. He's leaving. They can't keep him, House. There's no chance they keep him. He's going to New Orleans, he'll go to Brooklyn, he could go to your Washington Wizards. He's gonna be making 35 million dollars a year next year, and it will not be in Minnesota."

House pushed back, saying "I think that Minnesota is gonna find a way to keep him."

"Alright, bet," Simmons replied. "Dinner. Right now. Dinner bet. He will not be on Minnesota next year. It's not happening."

Looks like Joe House has won himself a dinner.

Timberwolves expert Bill Simmons says they will lose not only Naz Reid this summer, but also Donte DiVincenzo (under contract for two more years at 12 and 12.5 million) pic.twitter.com/ZLiAWG0ZQd
— Grant (@GrantMN3) March 7, 2025

The Reid thing wasn't even Simmons' only poor Timberwolves take from that episode. He also said the Wolves were going to lose Donte DiVincenzo, who is on a team-friendly contract at roughly $12 million per year for two more seasons. That one was flat-out ill-informed. And his bashing of the Gobert contract, while subjective, didn't age very well.

"Is it fair to say he's unplayable in a Lakers series, an OKC series, and a Golden State series?" asked Simmons, who happened to predict the three teams Minnesota wound up facing in the postseason. "You think he sees the court in a Lakers series? You think he sees a fourth quarter in a Lakers series with Luka and LeBron in the game?"

Gobert didn't have an outstanding playoff run, but he averaged 27.4 minutes across the Wolves' 15 games, putting up 7.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per night. That included a 27-point, 24-rebound performance against LeBron, Luka, and the Lakers in a series-clinching Game 5 win. Gobert also had 17 and 8 in Game 5 against the Warriors, who were admittedly without Steph Curry.

Simmons is a highly-entertaining podcaster who has built a massive media brand. In fairness to him, it's difficult to be on top of all of the details around every team in the league. But it's one thing to get something wrong, and it's another to be so adamantly, insistently, and loudly wrong. That's what happened here.

As much as I enjoy @BillSimmons his read of this situation months ago was as bad as it gets. It’s hard to have big opinions about every team, which is why it’s ok to sit some out. https://t.co/Klgn21mn5e
— Justin Gaard (@Gaardsy) June 28, 2025