Hornets' Naz Reid makes franchise history in win over Nets

Charlotte Hornets center Naz Reid. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hornets' Naz Reid makes franchise history in win over Nets

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Oct 21, 2026 11:31 PM ET

The Charlotte Hornets made major headlines in the offseason when they traded star point guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Charlotte did get an intriguing piece back in the trade, though, and that was big man Naz Reid. Reid, a former Sixth Man of the Year winner, had become a fan favorite in Minnesota, and he may be well on his way to becoming one in Charlotte after his performance in the Hornets' 110-103 win against the Brooklyn Nets.

Naz Reid made franchise history in Wednesday's win

Wednesday night marked Charlotte's sixth consecutive opening night win, the longest active streak in the NBA. Reid was the best player on the floor for the Hornets on Wednesday, making franchise history in the process.

Reid collected a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while also adding seven assists. With that performance, Reid became the first player in franchise history to record a 20/10/5 stat line in their team debut.

It was the exact performance that the Hornets envisioned when they made the move to acquire Reid in the offseason.

naz reid’s hornets debut first player in franchise history with 20/10/5 in team debut!@Kia performance of the game ➡️ naz reid pic.twitter.com/GzWVRMFHEi
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 22, 2026

The NBA team with the longest current season-opening winning streak?

The Charlotte Hornets (6) pic.twitter.com/Rzx3o7Bje1
— Underdog (@Underdog) October 22, 2026

Other offseason additions stepped up Wednesday

Charlotte was without three key players Wednesday (Coby White, Kon Knueppel, Grant Williams), but that was no problem. The Hornets didn't miss a beat, and that was due to excellent contributions from offseason acquisitions Grayson Allen and Dennis Schroder.

Allen led all Charlotte scorers with 21 points off the bench. He knocked down five-of-eight three-point attempts and also added three rebounds and four assists. Schroder was the starting point guard Wednesday, and he played an excellent game. He poured in 19 points while also collecting four rebounds and dishing out six assists.

Without its key contributors, it was a trio of offseason acquisitions that stepped up and helped the Hornets get an opening-night win.

First game, first win of the #Hornets season and new faces impressed

Welcome, Naz Reid. Double-double debut
Dennis Schröder is smooth and controls play like the vet he is. 19 points
Grayson Allen doing what he does: 21 points and 5-8 from 3

110-103 final #HiveMentality
— Danielle Stein (@Danielle_Stein9) October 22, 2026

Can Hornets snap their decade-long playoff drought?

Last season, Charlotte fell just one game short of its first playoff appearance since the 2015-16 season. The trade of its face of the franchise, Ball, signaled to some that the Hornets were already throwing in the towel on the 2026-27 season.

That's not the case, though, as the rest of the offseason was spent building an excellent roster around Charlotte's young stars in Miller and Knueppel.

If the offseason moves pan out the way the Hornets hope, they will certainly have a chance to compete in a loaded Eastern Conference and break that drought.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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