Charlotte Hornets forward Naz Reid did not play the entire second half during a loss against the Detroit Pistons. It's not entirely clear why.
Reid, who was the centerpiece return of a trade that sent former franchise cornerstone LaMelo Ball from the Hornets to the Minnesota Timberwolves, logged 13 minutes of action in the first half. He had 7 points (2-6 FG) with 6 rebounds and 1 block. He also had a turnover and a personal foul.
While we don't know exactly what happened, some online detectives quickly offered their theories.
Naz Reid Benching: Watch the full clip below. At 4:49 in the 2nd quarter, Naz appears to be explaining something to Moussa before Charles Lee steps in and shows Reid two different play signals. Was Naz explaining it incorrectly?
On the next possession, Reid appears confused by… pic.twitter.com/7bUQ8U7ePN
— James Plowright (@British_Buzz) October 29, 2026
One theory is that Reid may have mixed up play signals from Hornets head coach Charles Lee.
He was also potentially "confused" by an after-timeout call that Charlotte did not successfully fun.
This appears to be true based on the broadcast. You can see Naz Reid pulled away before reaching the bench. https://t.co/ulYFm3C7lx pic.twitter.com/AJtV9B3JDQ
— Dylan Jackson (@djdotmp4) October 29, 2026
About a minute later, following an ugly offensive and defensive possession by Reid, he was grabbed by Lee following a timeout.
Following the game, Lee explained that Reid did not meet the "standards" that the organization wanted to see from him.
Charles Lee on benching Naz Reid:
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) October 29, 2026
"Unfortunately, Naz didn't meet our standards in the first half, and at halftime we made the decision that he wouldn't play in the second half."
Hornets were up 7 at halftime and lost by 8. pic.twitter.com/5kT7fEVsWe
This is probably not a big deal at this point.
But it is something worth monitoring as the season progresses considering that this tension has come so early in the season.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Footage shows potential reason Naz Reid was benched by Hornets
