The Los Angeles Lakers are off to an electric 11-2 start to the 2026-27 season, but that doesn't mean LA is without weaknesses. In particular, the Lakers could use another floor-stretching big to play alongside Walker Kessler and also spell Kessler as a backup five. This is precisely why buzz about the Charlotte Hornets possibly shopping Naz Reid has Lakers fans wide-eyed.
The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski said this week that "the possibilities of Naz getting traded again are very high", due to Charlotte's ongoing rebuild. Essentially, the Hornets have two untouchable wings in Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel whom they are building around, but everyone else is replaceable.
Naz Reid would be a great fit with the Lakers
The Lakers expressed interest in Reid over the summer before he was traded to the Hornets -- The Athletic's Dan Woike reported that LA called the Minnesota Timberwolves about Reid, although a serious trade offer was never made.
Reid's shot-making ability would keep the lane clear for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. He's also a capable rebounder, a versatile defender, and a big-game player who has a ton of Western Conference postseason experience already at 27 years old.
The problem for the Lakers' pursuit of a Reid trade is LA's lack of trade assets. All they have to draw from is a first-round swap and three second-round picks. If Reid were to hit the trade block, there's no doubt that another winning team looking to upgrade -- possibly Detroit, Golden State, or Portland, for example -- would be able to outbid the Lakers and present Charlotte with a superior trade package.
There is one interesting route the Lakers could take in upping their ante for a Reid deal, though...
Lakers could get Hornets' attention in a Naz Reid sweepstakes by offering Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero
Carr and Thiero are two young players with a ton of potential. The Lakers definitely see Carr as a big part of their future, and he's a potential starting wing for them down the line. Thiero, in his own right, could be an important contributor moving forward.
Given the Lakers' meager trade offerings, they'd probably have to make the painful decision to include Carr and possibly also Thiero in an offer to Charlotte if they wanted to win a Reid sweepstakes. This would be a risky and perhaps (eventually) foolish move if Carr ended up fulfilling his sky-high potential. Then again, Naz Reid is really, really good (and not that old).
It really comes down to how desperate the Lakers are to contend in the absolute immediate present. If they're convinced that they can go win a title this season or next season, and that the chances of doing that will be harder in a few years, trading their future studs for Reid now would make sense. It would be a tough decision for Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, but those are the decisions he's paid to make.
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