Timberwolves make Bill Simmons look foolish with new Naz Reid contract

Bill Simmons, host of The Ringer podcast, has been proven wrong after adamantly claiming in a March 6 episode that the Minnesota Timberwolves would lose center Naz Reid in the offseason. During a segment discussing "worst contracts in the NBA," Simmons drafted Rudy Gobert's three-year, $109.5 million extension and declared Reid would leave Minnesota for a team like New Orleans, Brooklyn, or Washington on a $35 million annual deal, emphatically betting dinner with guest Joe House that Reid "will not be on Minnesota next year."

Contrary to Simmons' prediction, the Timberwolves signed Naz Reid to a five-year, $125 million contract on Friday. This makes Joe House the winner of their dinner bet, as House had countered Simmons by saying Minnesota would find a way to keep Reid.

Simmons also made an inaccurate claim about Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo during the same episode, stating the team would lose him despite DiVincenzo having two years remaining on a team-friendly contract worth approximately $12 million annually. Additionally, Simmons heavily criticized Rudy Gobert's contract and questioned his playoff viability against specific teams like the Lakers, Thunder, and Warriors—the exact opponents Minnesota faced in the postseason. Gobert averaged 27.4 minutes, 7.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks across 15 playoff games, including strong performances against the Lakers and Warriors.

The article notes that while Simmons is an entertaining podcaster building a major media brand, and it's challenging to track every team's details, his errors here were notable for being "so adamantly, insistently, and loudly wrong." A referenced tweet further criticizes Simmons for having such a poor read on the situation.