Knicks Youngster ‘Could Improve’ Western Conference Contender

Getty Cam Reddish of the New York Knicks warms up prior to a game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Though the New York Knicks are heading into the 2022-23 campaign chock full of incredibly talented youngsters ready to contribute for the club right from day one, there’s one sub-24-year-old player in Cam Reddish who seems to have one foot in and one foot out of the organization.

According to a September 1 report by the New York Post’s Marc Berman, the former lottery selection claimed a source informed him that “Reddish is looking for a larger role,” and, in turn, “wants a change of scenery.”

Considering his lacking overall production since entering the league back in 2019, and his incredibly inconsistent play as a member of the Knicks, there does not appear to be a long line of callers dialing up Leon Rose and company to inquire about the wing’s availability.

Having said that, despite the underwhelming interest from teams across the NBA, there are several ball clubs that one could argue as being a quality fit for Reddish, and Dalton Trigg of Sports Illustrated believes that one possible destination is the Dallas Mavericks.

“On top of missing out on trading for Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell, the New York Knicks now have to deal with rumors of fourth-year forward Cam Reddish potentially wanting a change of scenery. If those rumors are true, could the Mavs be his next destination? At the very least, it’s safe to say Reddish would be a good fit in Dallas,” Trigg wrote.

“Although the Mavs’ have a need for a secondary ball-handler off the bench, wing depth is indeed another area where the team could improve. If they do, perhaps that will keep Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock from being completely drained if Dallas is fortunate enough to make it back to the Western Conference Finals.”

Despite Trigg’s belief that Reddish could be a quality fit with Dallas, he would go on to cast doubt over any possible deal between them and the Knicks happening any time soon what with New York’s possible free agency tampering of former guard Jalen Brunson still being a fresh topic.

Rockets Also a Suitor for Reddish

Alongside the Mavericks, SB Nation’s James Piercey seems to believe that their southern Texas rivals in the Houston Rockets could also prove to be an ideal landing spot for Cam Reddish.

“Taking a flier on a young player is good business for a team like the Rockets. It doesn’t even matter if they haven’t played well so far. The Rockets should be hoping to put themselves in a position to facilitate a young player’s breakout season.

“Moreover, Reddish is due for a rookie contract extension following this year. His trade value may be close to nil,” Piercey wrote.

Piercey would then go on to construct the framework of a trade that he believes could get a deal done between the Knicks and Rockets.

New York Knicks receive:

• David Nwaba
• Future second-round pick

Houston Rockets receive:

• Cam Reddish

Being New York coughed up a first-round pick in the January 13 trade to acquire him, this proposed return package by Piercey could be perceived as quite underwhelming from a fan’s point of view.

Having said that, what with his lackluster averages of 6.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game since becoming a member of the franchise, there’s an argument to be made that, should he be shopped, the club may not be able to receive an offer much better than this.

Knicks May Have Best Offer for Irving

According to an anonymous Eastern Conference general manager who recently spoke with Heavy.com, the New York Knicks could be an ideal trade partner for their cross-borough rivals in the Brooklyn Nets should they be looking to offload star point guard, Kyrie Irving.

“The Nets have spent so much time trying to separate themselves from the Knicks that you wonder if the two teams would be willing to make a major trade but if the Nets are getting the sense that they’re going to lose Kyrie Irving, sending him to the Knicks makes some sense,” the general manager told Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney.

“The Knicks would have a chance to re-sign him — that’s one of the big fears about dealing for Irving, that he is not going to stick around after the season, he is a rental player. But if you send out Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose and a pick, the Nets would have to consider that. It’s not much but if they are not sure Irving will be back, they might not do much better.”

Despite his of-the-court issues, Irving is still one of the best talents the game currently has to offer and, if the Knicks are still interested in acquiring an unquestioned star player after their failed attempt to land Donovan Mitchell this summer, the executive believes the guard could be a realistic pivot.

A seven-time All-Star, a three-time All-NBA selection, and an NBA Champion, the 30-year-old finds himself coming off of an incredibly productive 2021-22 campaign where he posted stellar per-game averages of 27.4 points, 5.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals on 46.9% shooting from the floor and a career-high 41.8% shooting from distance.