Getty A Cam Reddish trade could be tough.
With no clear spot in the rotation going into the next season, New York Knicks forward Cam Reddish is left with few options.
In a perfect world, he’d have consistent minutes in an effort to prove he still holds value that would propel him into a new contract. This upcoming season will be the final year of his rookie deal, and while the Knicks could tender a qualifying option for the forward, there’s little to indicate that’ll be the case.
The former lottery pick didn’t pan out with the Atlanta Hawks, so the Knicks traded their own former lottery selection Kevin Knox and a first-round pick to acquire RJ Barrett’s former teammate at Duke.
On September 1, the New York Post’s Marc Berman reported Reddish requested a trade from the Knicks, but that might be difficult to pull off.
As it stands, there’s little reason for a team to be interested in the forward, despite him being just 23 years old.
NBA GM: “And He Wants a Trade? Forget It.”
An Eastern Conference general manager told Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney that the Knicks won’t consider trading Reddish unless they get a first-round pick back in the deal.
“They gave up a first-round pick to get him to New York so there is no way they’re going to send him out for anything less than a first-round pick in return,” said the GM.
Looking back at it now, it’s clear the Knicks overpaid for Reddish, and now it’ll be difficult to get anything of value back for him. The general manager thinks that asking price and the “bad attitude” of Reddish will make a trade tough.
“I am not going to give up a first-rounder for an attitude like that,” the GM continued. “He played, what, 15 minutes a game for the Knicks? And he wants a trade? Forget it.”
The only thing working in his favor is the idea of who he could become in a different situation, and there are few teams where that could become a reality.
Lakers a Possibility?
In the report about the trade request, Berman also floats the Los Angeles Lakers as a possibility for Reddish.
“The Lakers have interest in the 6-foot-8 Reddish,” he wrote. “With the Knicks not making a deal with the Jazz for Donovan Mitchell, they could do a separate deal with Los Angeles.”
Reddish could find a lot more playing time in Los Angeles as that’s a team that has all sorts of openings on the roster. They are also a team that wants to compete for a championship, but after seeing how last season went, it’s not clear how likely that’ll even be.
On September 5, Sports Illustrated’s Grant Afseth threw the San Antonio Spurs into the mix, and argued Reddish could find playing time there.
“With Reddish being limited in his role early in his NBA career, he would have the greatest chance to showcase his abilities he’s faced,” he wrote. “There isn’t a clear-cut, proven shot creator in the Spurs’ offense, so Reddish showing dynamic traits would be needed.”
These teams might just decide to wait a year for Reddish to hit free agency before taking a chance on him. Sending out a first round pick for a player that might not pan out just isn’t worth — just ask the Knicks.