Author: Tim Bontemps

Tim Bontemps, ESPNApr 24, 2024, 06:42 PM ET

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Minnesota forward Naz Reid was named the 2023-24 NBA Sixth Man of the Year on Wednesday night, becoming the first Timberwolves player to win the award.

Reid, 24, averaged career highs of 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds to help Minnesota finish with the second-best record in franchise history (56-26) and clinch the third seed in the Western Conference.

He also became the third undrafted player to win the award, along with John Starks (1997) and Darrell Armstrong (1999).

“Blessed to be in this situation,” Reid, one of six players to win the award before the age of 25, said in an interview on TNT.

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“It’s special,” Reid said of his relationship with the fans in Minnesota, where he has spent his whole career thus far. “It’s one of a kind, something that you obviously dream of, especially

Tim Bontemps, ESPNApr 24, 2024, 01:51 PM ET

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NEW YORK — New Brooklyn Nets coach Jordi Fernandez wasted no time making his feelings known about the roster — and, specifically, the status of unrestricted free agent center Nic Claxton, who Fernandez said was a “priority” to retain in free agency.

“Nic is a quote-unquote big that has defensive versatility,” Fernandez said at his introductory news conference at the team’s practice facility overlooking New York Harbor on Wednesday morning. “I believe he’ll be Defensive Player of the Year. For us, he’s a priority in this summer, and the way we can play through him — obviously he’s great in pick-and-roll, he’s quick to the rim, he puts pressure on the rim — but also his ability to play the dribble-handoff game which, as you guys know, lately in the NBA is a style that is very efficient.

“When