3 budget bigs Cleveland Cavaliers should consider signing this offseason

Budget Big No. 3: Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves

This season, Minnesota backup big Naz Reid’s salary was only worth $1.9 million. His grit and determined play over the year will command a substantial pay raise; yet, Minnesota’s already expensive contract obligations to Karl Anthony-Towns and Rudy Gobert means the Timberwolves might not want to commit even more to Reid with Anthony Edwards’ eventual supermax contract on the horizon.

Among contending teams, the majority will have limited cap space to sign free agents. The Cavaliers, though, are still below the NBA luxury tax and have the full Mid-Level Exception at their disposal. So, they will be able to offer Naz Reid more than many other competitors.

At only 23 years old, a contract with Cleveland means Reid will be a critical piece on a young team with championship aspirations. On 3.2 three-point attempts per game, Reid made 34.6% throughout the season. In 68 games, Reid averaged just under five rebounds and one block per game with just over 18 minutes each contest. His skill set is the perfect match to elevate Cleveland’s postseason success next year.

Going deeper into NBA.com’s statistics tracking, Reid has versatility in his defensive prowess. The backup big from Prince’s hometown defended an average of 2.6 three-point shots per game with an opponent three-point percentage of 34.1. His defensive rating last season was 110, meeting league average.

Coming into the league undrafted, Reid will continually need to prove himself until he solidifies himself with a long-term contract. The Cavaliers are looking for a player that fits their future goals, not just for one or two years.

Signing Reid to three years would give the Cavaliers full Bird Rights to retain Reid on a new contract if he continues to improve each season as he has thus far. If, though, Cleveland is not the right home for Reid’s future, he would be a valuable trade piece in a larger package later in his contract.

According to Keith Smith of Spotrac as of early on during this current season, Reid could potentially agree to a deal worth up to $22 million, starting at $8 million in the first season and descending by eight percent the following two seasons. Though Smith suggested this as an extension to keep Reid in Minnesota, the Cavaliers would be able to sign Reid to the same deal and still have nearly $5 million to offer other free agents and round off their rotation.

In a scenario where Naz Reid ends up in the wine and gold, which seems possible with his now-pending free agency, he would likely be the best free agent signing so far in the post-LeBron era in Cleveland basketball.