The Los Angeles Lakers were forced to face themselves in the mirror after being unceremoniously bumped by the Minnesota Timberwolves from the 2024-25 NBA playoffs. As great as it was to see LeBron James and Luka Doncic teaming up in the postseason, the Lakers' playoff run made it clear the star duo isn't bringing a title back to L.A. unless major frontcourt adjustments are made.
As the 2025 NBA draft and the start of free agency loom, several centers have been linked to the Lakers as potential targets. One of the more frequently rumored targets is Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid, who's expected to decline his $15 million player option to become a free agent in July.
As great as Reid would look in a Lakers uniform, finding a way to add the former 2024 NBA Sixth Man of the Year will likely be easier said than done.
Lakers Rumors: Pistons Expected to Pursue Naz Reid in Free Agency
On Saturday, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that a floor-stretching veteran like Reid will garner attention in free agency, and the Detroit Pistons could be one of the biggest obstacles in the Lakers' pursuit. A reliable forward is near the top of the Pistons' offseason "to-do" list," and the pending Timberwolves FA fits what the Detroit front office is looking for.
Reid, 25, is one of the best bench bigs in the NBA today, proving that throughout his 406 games played (74 starts) across six seasons with the Timberwolves. He's seemingly improved with each passing season and just finished a 2024-25 campaign that saw him average personal bests in points (14.2) and rebounds (6.0) while adding 2.3 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 2.2 threes made on 37.9% shooting per game.
Reid's production dipped in the 2024-25 postseason; however, he still managed to average 10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 50.9% from the floor and 39.7% from deep across 15 appearances without a start. Not only would his PPG have ranked fifth-best on the Lakers this spring, but it was more than five times the production L.A. saw from Jaxson Hayes (1.8 PPG).
While playing with the likes of James and Doncic could entice Reid to join the Lakers, the Pistons' financial flexibility could provide an obstacle. Detroit is expected to have just under $17 million in cap space remaining plus the non-taxable mid-level exception ($14.1 million), opening the door to sign Reid outright.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles barely has any money to spend, meaning a sign-and-trade with Minnesota would be necessary to bring Reid to town. That could complicate the Lakers' pursuit if the Timberwolves aren't a fan of any of the packages general manager Rob Pelinka could potentially put together.
At the end of the day, the Lakers can't win an NBA title if they don't upgrade their frontcourt. If they're confident that Reid's presence is the missing piece of the puzzle, Pelinka might have to bite the bullet and pay a premium price to acquire one of L.A.'s top offseason targets.
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