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Report: Timberwolves Big Man Seeking New Contract This Offseason
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- Report: Timberwolves Big Man Seeking New Contract This Offseason
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
It's been an up-and-down season thus far for the Minnesota Timberwolves . They sit seventh in the Western conference. The Wolves have lost four of their last five games , including both since the All-Star break.
Additionally, the acquisition of Julius Randle has not been as impactful as they'd hoped. That's partly because he's been out for the past month with a groin injury. Their other offseason acquisition, Donte DiVincenzo , has also been out since Jan. 15 with turf toe.
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However, this season has shown the Minnesota Timberwolves the value of their younger players. Nickeil Alexander-Walker , Jaylen Clark and Naz Reid have all flashed signs of stardom in the wake of injuries to the starting lineup. In particular, Reid has improved upon his Sixth Man of the Year numbers from last season. He's averaging 14.7 points and 5.8 rebounds on 40% shooting from three, but the Wolves may be in danger of losing him.
Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Cap strategists predict Naz Reid will test free agency
According to "The Stein Line's" Jake Fischer , rival teams' cap strategists think it's in Randle's best interest to pick up his player option for next season. He's battled injuries both this season and last, and has also seen his production falter since joining the Minnesota Timberwolves. His 18.9 points per game are his fewest since 2017-18 when he was with the Lakers .
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This leads Fischer to believe that teams won't match Randle's $30.9 million option in free agency, and he will re-sign in MN. If that's the case, it leaves the cap-strapped Wolves with nearly no room to negotiate a contract for Naz Reid. He has a player option for next season, but Fischer says he's in search of a more lucrative, long-term deal.
Thus, the strategists consider it likely that Reid will turn down his $15 million option for next season. This would be bad news for the Minnesota Timberwolves, as Reid has filled the role that had been missing after trading KAT. Since being put into the starting lineup, Reid is averaging 20.1 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. His ability to play inside and on the perimeter as a big man is necessary in today's NBA.
Related: Timberwolves Await Return of Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert Injury Concerning…
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Still, it's not a foregone conclusion that Reid will leave. As Fischer reports, teams that were previously interested in him (such as the Cavaliers and Mavericks ) have since signed other guys to their front-courts. Now, they may not want to take Reid on such a big contract. Re-signing Reid is a priority for the Wolves, so the expectation is that they will consider continuing their relationship beyond this season.
Minnesota Timberwolves may lose another key role player
While Reid has an option to mull over this offseason, Nickeil Alexander-Walker will be an unrestricted free agent. The lockdown defender will be 27 next year, and league executives believe he may garner a $20 million per year contract. This would price him out of the Wolves if they hope to keep both him and Reid beyond this season. The Wolves are already paying substantial money to Anthony Edwards , Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels .
Alexander-Walker has become an integral piece since being traded to Minnesota in 2022. He helped the Wolves make the Western Conference Finals last season with his stellar 3-and-D play. This year, he's provided much of the same, improving on last year's scoring numbers to average 9.1 points on 40% shooting from three.
He offers a similar skillset to McDaniels (with better efficiency), so the Wolves have loved bringing him off the bench to backup the younger guard. Losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker would hurt the Wolves tremendously, as his growth has been a welcome surprise to the team.
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Related: Report: Kevin Garnett to Join Timberwolves Immediately Upon Ownership Change
However, the emergence of Jaylen Clark has provided a glimmer of hope for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a post-NAW world. In just 16 games, including two as a starter, Clark is averaging 5.1 points on 46% shooting. He's also averaging a steal per game to go along with it. He fell hard last night against the Thunder and had to exit the game, but concussion tests came back negative . Notably, he had 14 points and four steals before leaving.
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