Because of the price it would take to land him, Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid is considered a longshot for the Boston Celtics to acquire ahead of the upcoming February 9 trade deadline.
Boston.com’s Tom Westerholm relayed that unfortunate fact in a piece about which trade deadline targets the team will pursue over the next week. Reid, an impending restricted free agent this upcoming offseason, would likely require at least a player and a draft pick — meaning that Payton Pritchard and a future first would be the price for the fourth-year big man.
While he has been a per-36-minute stud on the stat sheet during the 2022-23 season for Minnesota, Reid is too unproven of a commodity to meet the price. Hence the label of a longshot for the Celtics:
"“Ultimately, Reid’s potential will likely demand at least one first-round pick and maybe something else, so the Celtics are a long shot to acquire him. But he would be one of the more interesting options on the board.”"
Who would be worth paying that price on for the Boston Celtics
If Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens and co. were to pursue a trade using Payton Pritchard — whose recent eye-brow raising comments point to a potential trade demand this offseason if he is still on the roster — the bar would be higher than Naz Reid.
One potential target with a similar salary who’d fill a hole in the frontcourt worth that price is another member of the Timberwolves frontcourt, Jaden McDaniels. With a more proven track record and a much superior 3-point conversion clip, McDaniels is the Minnesota target worth Boston’s attention.
The Memphis Grizzlies also have a pair of underpaid, unheralded forwards worthy of a phone call from Stevens if the price was a second-rounder instead of a first: Saldi Aldama and John Konchar. Both are above average shooters capable of filling the role Sam Hauser has been struggling to since December.