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It’s been a rocky start to Los Angeles Lakers wing Cam Reddish’s career.
Highly touted since high school, he has become a journeyman by NBA standards. But he has a big opportunity ahead of him after joining L.A. on a two-year, $4.6 million contract this summer, and he certainly appears to be appreciative of it.
“New Beginnings,” Reddish said on Instagram on August 2 adding “To God be the glory” and his signature “CamFam” to the post showing him training at team facilities and catching up with general manager Rob Pelinka.
Drafted with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, Reddish requested a trade after just two seasons.
Atlanta sent him to the New York Knicks, at the 2021-22 trade deadline. But things quickly spiraled as Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that head coach Tom Thibodeau never wanted the trade to do down and Reddish had a tough time even earning minutes in the rotation.
“It was tough but at the same time, it ain’t even about basketball,” Reddish said, per Stefan Bondy of the Daily News in March. “It had nothing to do with basketball. It was all the politics, all the favoritism. S*** like that. That’s why I wasn’t too worried about it.”
Reddish averaged over 26 minutes in his Hawks tenure and fewer than 19 minutes in his season-plus with the Knicks.
New York traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers this past February.
Reddish, 23, averaged 11.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 steals in 20 appearances with Portland including 12 starts. He averaged more minutes in that stretch than he has in any full season save for 2020-21 when he averaged over 28 minutes per game but made just 26 total appearances with 21 starts due to injuries.
Cam is cookin’ 😮💨
@camreddish is our @carmax Player of the Week!
He even put up 25 points and shot 44.4% from deep versus the Hawks in March amid a 14.6-PPG stretch during an 11-game span with nine starts. Unfortunately for him, as has been the case at various points in his career, an injury interrupted his progress and ended his season early.
All things considered, this is still a talented player that has the skill set to thrive in the right situation.
And he could realistically find that situation in Los Angeles with the Lakers.
Cam Reddish Can Play Freely With Lakers
Heading into his fifth NBA season and on his fourth team, perhaps Reddish can now escape from under the shadow of his draft pedigree where expectations can sometimes outweigh the reality of how many variables factor into a player’s development in the NBA. Fit with the coaching staff and next to teammates is almost, if not as important as talent.
It is debatable whether or not Reddish has not had either of the first two factors working in his favor at any of his previous stops.
The Hawks overhauled their front office and coaching staff during the 2022-23 season and have traded several other players from that young core since sending Reddish about his business and his time in New York was what it was.
He was also a year too early arriving in Portland as they only this summer got set to enter a rebuild that would have allowed for growing pains.
Again, Reddish has the ability and supreme confidence.
CAM 🎥
24 PTS | 4 RBS | 4 AST
“I feel like I can be a star,” Reddish said, per Berman in January of 2022 after getting traded to the Knicks ahead of the deadline. “I feel like I could be a legit star. That’s what I’m working to be. It’s pretty simple.”
In L.A., he will be on the biggest stage. But he will not be the focal point on the floor in most situations with more talented playmakers handling the ball, freeing Reddish up to just play.
Lakers Could Be Best Place for Cam Reddish
It will be on him to make the most of the situation, of course. But the 6-foot-8, uber-talented former Duke star isn’t sitting back and simply watching it unfold, he’s grinding to maximize this next opportunity.
He has never played with a leader in the locker room and on the floor like LeBron James with whom Reddish shares representation – Klutch Sportz — who he signed with in 2021 while still a member of the Hawks. After being moved a couple of times now, he should be as hungry as ever to prove himself and his supporters right too.
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Cam Reddish Sends Message on Joining Lakers in Free Agency