If we have to give credit to Bill Simmons for being a clairvoyant, we have to outline the times when the Sports Guy was wrong, too.
It’s only fair.
Now, it would be ridiculous for us to go back and relitigate every take ever made in sports media that hasn’t aged well. We’d develop calluses, writer’s strain, digital eye strain, you know, all of those things considered occupational hazards of the work-from-home sports blogger.
So no, we’re not going to rehash every hit or miss from The Ringer founder. But after tipping our hats to him for calling the Boston Red Sox trading Rafael Devers and eerily predicting Benedict Mathurin’s NBA Finals stat line, we do have to needle Bill a little.
Back in March, Simmons climbed on his soapbox and declared the Minnesota Timberwolves were set to lose Naz Reid to free agency. During his “worst contracts in the NBA” draft, he criticized the T-Wolves for handing Rudy Gobert a three-year, $109.5 million deal and concluded that, because of that contract, Reid would be taking his talents elsewhere.
Well, for all intents and purposes, Simmons was wrong. That’s because Reid reportedly intends to sign a new five-year, $125 million contract to re-up with the franchise that signed him as an undrafted free agent out of LSU back in 2019.
Breaking: Minnesota Timberwolves Naz Reid intends to sign a new five-year, $125M contract to stay with the franchise, including a player option, sources tell @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/PBxWSWoeev
— ESPN (@espn) June 28, 2025
“They’re gonna lose Naz Reid now,” Simmons said via Minnesota Timberwolves on SI. “Naz Reid is gone. Like, he’s done. He’s leaving. They can’t keep him. 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 a year next year, and it will not be in Minnesota.”
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
Joe House wasn’t convinced Reid was leaving, and Simmons even made a dinner bet with him.
Looks like Bill owes Joe a steak.
“He will not be on Minnesota next year,” Simmons confidently said. “It’s not happening.”
Oh, but it did.
Simmons’ point was that Julius Randle would be opting into his $32 million contract after the Timberwolves freed themselves from Karl-Anthony Towns’ deal, which was offloaded to the New York Knicks. (Randle inked a three-year, $100 million extension with Minnesota on Sunday.) That, he argued, would likely leave Minnesota without enough cap space to keep Naz Reid. He also predicted the team would lose Donte DiVincenzo.
Maybe Reid’s new deal proves that won’t be the case after all.