Knicks Urged to Put Banished Forward Back in Lineup

Getty Cam Reddish and Evan Fournier are both out of the rotation.

The New York Knicks have been playing without the services of Cam Reddish after putting him in the starting lineup to start the year.

He’s not injured, but instead coach Tom Thibodeau decided the team was better off without him playing, effectively ending the former lottery pick’s tumultuous tenure with the Knicks.

Reddish hasn’t even been able to crack the rotation with injuries to Jalen Brunson, Obi Toppin and RJ Barrett, and that’s something SNY’s David Vertsberger believes to be a mistake.

“Given what we do know, Reddish deserves another shot,” he wrote. “Not only is he a 23-year-old prospect you gave up assets for, but at one point this season he was one of the most effective two-way players on the roster. Why can’t that be true again?”

It’s a fair question to ask, especially since the Knicks have had to dig deep to fill the void left behind with these various injuries.

Knicks Pressed to Play Reddish

With the Knicks not signing Reddish to an extension, this is a season where he’s essentially fighting for his NBA life. He’s not expected to get a lucrative contract in the offseason after seeing him fizzle out with two different franchises, but he should still garner some interest.

A way to build up value would be by playing, and he was impressive to start the year. In 20 games, Reddish put up 8.4 points per game on a career-best 44.9 percent shooting from the floor. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but it shows Reddish can still play if given the opportunity.

Vertsberger argues Reddish is a versatile player the Knicks have missed ever since taking him out of the rotation.

“Reddish was easily able to separate himself from the Knicks’ roster thanks to his athleticism and skillset,” he wrote. “They had dependable options on the wings and and at the power forward position, but only Reddish could naturally flow and defend between the two. The most valuable player in today’s NBA is the multi-faceted big-bodied wing, and Reddish was that for New York. On top of that, few Knicks have that dynamic athleticism Reddish does, and he was one of the most switchable members on the roster.”

Other Teams Are Interested

SNY’s Ian Begley reported the Knicks are unlikely to play Reddish again, so that would lead many to believe they are actively shopping him around.

“I don’t envision a situation where Cam Reddish is going to be playing with this team moving forward,” he said.

There have been teams who have shown in an interest in adding Reddish in the past. Back in December, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported the Los Angeles Lakers one of the teams, and he said they were looking at both Reddish and Evan Fournier.

“The Lakers are prioritizing shooting in their conversations with teams, and have discussed packages including salaries and a protected first-round pick for Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanovic, league sources, who were granted anonymity so that they could speak freely, tell The Athletic,” Charania reported. “They’ve also discussed concepts involving New York’s Cam Reddish and Evan Fournier, sources said.”

Further indicated they are looking at trades, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reports the Knicks have a new asking price for Reddish.

“The Knicks are willing to part with Reddish for two second-round picks, league sources told HoopsHype,” he wrote. “The Lakers, Bucks, and other teams have inquired about the asking price for Reddish, who was shooting a career-high 44.9 percent from the field before being benched, HoopsHype has learned.”

Teams might be better off waiting until the offseason to sign him, but a team like the Lakers who have a sense of urgency could find themselves more likely to make a move.