The New York Knicks acquired Cam Reddish from the Atlanta Hawks last season in a deal that cost them Kevin Knox and a first-round pick.
Reddish played sparingly for New York last year, but he found himself starting for the team earlier this season. Fast forward to now and he’s out of the rotation entirely and the Knicks are almost certainly looking at a trade for him as he still boasts a lot of potential that another team might want to roll the dice on.
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale cooked up an idea that would see Reddish shipped to the Pacers in exchange for a second round pick and 24-year-old forward Oshae Brissett.
Fresh Start for Reddish
The Knicks did not offer Reddish a contract extension before the season, and that means the former lottery pick will be hitting restricted free agency after the year concludes. New York will have the chance to match offers he receives, but it’s highly unlikely they’d do so considering he isn’t playing at all at the moment.
This would mean trading him is the best path forward, and while they likely won’t find a first-round pick in return for him, getting something back would be better than nothing at all. Favale argues that Knicks fans should be grateful they could get anything back for Reddish at this point.
“Some Knicks fans might flinch at getting back ‘so little,'” he wrote. “But this isn’t “so little.” It would be nice to bag a conditional first-round pick, since that’s what they gave up to get him. But Reddish isn’t playing and will be up for a new contract this summer in restricted free agency. New York’s leverage is almost nonexistent.”
The proposal would see the Knicks at least get a second-round pick back, something they recently lost in the Jalen Brunson tampering punishment, so that would be a silver lining.
Brissett likely wouldn’t factor much into New York’s long term plans, but it would be a way to give Reddish a fresh start where he could potentially find playing time.
Would Reddish Fit With the Pacers?
Just about any scenario would be better for Reddish at this point as he’s simply not seeing the court with the Knicks.
Even with Obi Toppin’s injury, Reddish hasn’t sniffed the court, so it seems like he has now run his course with the team. The Pacers are solid so far this season, so plugging in a raw forward like Reddish might not be the best fit for them, but he could be worth the gamble.
Brissett isn’t exactly a marquee role player, but he does play an important role for the Pacers that would have to be replaced by Reddish is they acquire him. At this point, it’s not even clear if Reddish is the better player, but he likely has the higher upside between the two.
It would certainly be something both sides have to think about, and if Reddish isn’t traded to the Pacers, there are other teams who have shown interest in him.
“Regardless, several teams have expressed interest in trading for Reddish since the Knicks acquired him in January 2022,” SNY’s Ian Begley reported on December 8. “The Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks are among the teams who reached out to New York in that span.”
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Knicks Salvage Cam Reddish Trade in Latest Proposal