Getty Cam Reddish reacts during a game between the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic.
It has been a little bit over a year since the New York Knicks sent big man Kevin Knox and a first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Cam Reddish. And to say that it has been a weird and wild ride for the former No. 10 overall pick would be putting it mildly.
The front office must have had high hopes for Reddish if they were willing to part with the pick to get him. But, clearly, Tom Thibodeau didn’t share in their enthusiasm — and he didn’t seem to care much about the price that was paid to bring him to NYC, either, as he never gave the baller a real shot at a rotational spot last season.
Once the 2022-23 season rolled around, there was early hope that something had been figured out — that the trade investment might actually pay off. Instead, Thibs eventually employed the Kemba Walker strategy, full-on benching Reddish after a bad nine-minute stint during a loss to the Mavs in early December.
Now, according to one Knicks insider, team president Leon Rose is willing to jettison the 23-year-old ahead of the NBA trade deadline for a bargain-basement price.
SNY: Knicks Apparently Willing to Deal Reddish for Middling Draft Asset
SportsNet New York‘s Ian Begley updated the Reddish situation on Friday and, according to his sources, the Knicks are looking for far less back in a trade for the former Hawk than they sent out to get him last season.
Wrote Begley: “It’s worth noting that teams in touch with the Knicks say they are seeking a second-round pick in return for Reddish in a trade.”
Given the upside Reddish probably still has as a young-ish, athletic wing and former lotto guy with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and a 6-foot-7, 215-plus-pound frame, there’s likely no shortage of teams willing to take a flier on him. Begley could only confirm who three of them are, though.
“Several teams have been monitoring Reddish’s situation in New York, dating back to last season. The Heat, Bucks and Lakers are among the teams who reached out to the Knicks to talk about Reddish since the 2022 NBA trade deadline,” Begley wrote.
Is Miami the Landing Spot for Reddish?
Begley noted that aforementioned clubs, and others, have likely made inquiries on Reddish more recently. However, one of them received a special mention from the Knicks insider.
“Team personnel in Miami are intrigued by the 23-year-old,” Begley reported.
As it happens, the Heat could be a team more motivated to make a play for Reddish. Given the team’s bloated cap/tax situation and dearth of draft assets, chief decision-maker Pat Riley has some serious hurdles in bringing quality players in right now. Getting a player of Reddish’s ilk for a second-round pick or two would be the loophole.
In any case, the Knicks aren’t just going to give him away if they can help it.
“It’s logical to assume the Knicks try to get as much as they can in any Reddish deal, whether the trade sends out Reddish alone or as part of a package of Knicks,” wrote Begley. “But they have talked to teams about taking back a future second-rounder in deals that solely involve Reddish.”