Charlotte Hornets’ Naz Reid Labeled as Potential Breakout Candidate for 2026-27 Campaign

Naz Reid is expected to play a bigger role for the Charlotte Hornets this upcoming season after the team parted ways with LaMelo Ball to acquire him.

And according to The Ringer’s Danny Chau, if the Charlotte Hornets end their playoff drought, it’ll likely be on the back of a breakout year for Reid, who averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 45.6 percent shooting from the field across 77 regular-season appearances for the Minnesota Timberwolves last season.

May 12, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) sits on the bench before game five of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

“The Hornets are about to learn what Wolves fans have long wondered: What if you just made Naz Reid a starter? There aren’t too many eighth-year breakouts to point to in recent memory, but there also aren’t too many players who encompass Reid’s intersection of strength and mobility, sharpshooting and ballhandling,” Chau wrote about Reid in his column.

“It’s a skill set whose limits are worth exploring in ways that just weren’t realistic given the massive frontcourt contracts the Wolves had to juggle. But with the Hornets’ roster makeup and their propensity for letting it fly, my mind immediately darted to how Charlotte could deploy some fiendish small-ball units to maximize the skill level present on the court,” he added.

Nov 30, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) reacts after the team’s win against the San Antonio Spurs after the game at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Charlotte Hornets were ranked No. 19 by The Athletic’s Law Murray, as he evaluated the team’s roster moves this season, including parting ways with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges.

“Grayson Allen replaces Ball, while Schröder replaces Tre Mann. Naz Reid is in for Miles Bridges, while Royce O’Neale steps in for Josh Green. Hannes Steinbach supplants Xavier Tillman Sr., and Christian Anderson seems destined to spend most of his rookie season in Greensboro,” Murray wrote.

“Depth is not a problem in Charlotte. Coby White is the new starting point guard, and Brandon Miller will get to show he can be at the top of the food chain. The Ball era appeared to have hit its ceiling. Now, the Hornets have to show they can carry over the same success they had in the second half of last season without Ball,” he added.

Murray also noted that head coach Charles Lee must find a way to adapt without Ball, who’s arguably the Charlotte Hornets’ best player in the past few seasons.