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2019 lottery pick Cam Reddish may be on the move again as yet another team can’t find a role for the former Duke Blue Devil
Coming out of college, there was a lot of buzz surrounding Cam Reddish. So much so that the Atlanta Hawks selected the Duke Blue Devil forward with the 10th overall pick in the 2019 draft. The 6’8” combo forward with the 7’2” wingspan was pegged as a potential defensive stopper. Instead, Redish had an up-and-down tenure with the Hawks. He played in 58 games in his first season and then 26, 49, and 34 before being traded to the New York Knicks during the 2021-22 season.
COVID shortened the 2019-20 season, and injuries and an overabundance of forwards for the Hawks were all reasons for his lack of playing time. That combination led the Hawks to trade Reddish and Solomon Hill to the Knicks, receiving Kevin Knox in return before last season’s trade deadline. Some people around the league were shocked because it seemed the Hawks didn’t get much in return for a potential talent like Reddish, but shortly after the trade, Reddish injured his shoulder and missed the rest of the regular season, only playing 15 games for the Knicks.
So far this season, Reddish is playing 21.9 minutes a game and has played in 20 of the Knicks’ 24 games while averaging 8.4 points a game. Unfortunately, his playing time has decreased lately. Reddish had been pulled from the rotation and received his first healthy DNP in a Knicks win over the Cavs. Coach Thibodeau spoke on the Knicks’ rotation and some players’ lack of playing time.
”It’s not just on Cam, it’s on our team,” Thibodeau said. “What gives our team the best chance? And so I’d say those are coaching decisions; to decide to go from a 10-man rotation to nine because you feel like it [gives] the team the best chance to succeed. That’s why you do it. You always have to put the team first. So there’s a lot of sacrifices that need to be made by a team. But we’re always going to put what we feel is best for the team first.”
According to Stefan Bondy of New York Daily News, the Knicks have declined to make Reddish available for three straight media availabilities. Now Bondy is reporting the two sides are working on a possible trade.
That would now make two teams unable to find a role for the 2019 lottery pick. At only 23 years old, teams will be willing to take a chance on Reddish. We have seen countless times how it takes some players years after first coming into the league before they finally find the right team (see Andrew Wiggins). It will be interesting to see if a playoff team will take a chance on the talented forward. The Phoenix Suns certainly have a Jae Crowder-sized hole in their front court.
Reddish and the Knicks could not agree on a contract extension before the October deadline, which means Reddish will be a free agent this summer.
The Athletic’s Fred Katz is also reporting that the Knicks are trying to attach Reddish with Evan Fournier in an attempt to unload his hefty contract. Fournier is set to make about $19m/yr over the next two seasons with a team option on the final year.
