Should the NY Knicks make a trade for Cam Reddish?

Entering the new season, there was a ton of optimism amongst the fanbase and organization that the NY Knicks were inching closer toward becoming true title contenders.

Just 31 games into the season and the team’s performance has let some air out of those sails.

With a record of 14-17 which is good for just 12th in the East, the Knicks’ front office is at a bit of a crossroads.

We all thought the biggest hurdle the team had to get over was the benching of Kemba Walker, but since being removed from the rotation, the team has lost a total of now 7 players due to Covid-19 protocols now that Nerlens went down today with the illness.

Kemba has started due to necessity for the last 2 games and has played well but the situation as a whole begs the question; Where do the Knicks go from here?

Should the NY Knicks trade for Cam Reddish?

Sure, the team could make a couple of big trades in an attempt to turn things around for this season but what does that really do for their future?

We all thought the team was going to be able to contend fairly well and remain a lower-seeded playoff team until the time was right for them to pounce on a huge free agent signing or blockbuster trade target.

But now, with the team struggling the way it has, it’s going to make the Knicks a much less appealing and desirable destination for some of the NBA’s elite.

In my opinion, I think the front office might finally consider last season to be a bit of a fluke and count their losses soon.

This team was meant to rebuild the long and slow way.

That’s why I believe the Knicks could kick the tires on the idea of trading for RJ’s buddy, Cam Reddish.

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report and Shams Charania of The Athletic have both recently touched on the young Hawks’ availability.

"The Hawks have been searching around the league for a first-round pick in return for swingman Cam Reddish, sources said, as Atlanta faces a logjam at the wing. De’Andre Hunter will be eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but some rival executives believe the Hawks would entertain calls on Hunter for packages that would return an established impact veteran—something to keep in mind if Boston were to ever truly explore moving Jaylen Brown, an Atlanta native."

Here I’ll break down a hypothetical trade scenario and why I believe each team considers the deal.

Would you consider this Cam Reddish to NY Knicks trade?

Cam Reddish has been considered by many to arguably be the most talented and skillful player on the Hawks with his biggest hindrance just being his mindset.

The kid just has a hard time putting it all together.

He’s obviously shown glimpses of greatness, so perhaps being in a place where he’s got some familiarity with his buddy, RJ Barrett, alongside arguably the best coaching staff top to bottom in the NBA, could do Reddish a world of good.

You can’t really ask for more out of a modern-day wing.

Reddish stands at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and all the talent, albeit raw talent you could ever dream of in a Small Forward.

The Knicks certainly had interest in Reddish going into the 2019 NBA Draft but landed inside the top-3 picks which were pretty much set in stone that season.

Had they gone with Reddish instead of RJ, the fanbase would have rioted outside of MSG.

In the trade, the Knicks send Kevin Knox (for salary matching purposes) over to Atlanta along with Dallas’ 2023 first-round pick and a 2022 2nd round pick in exchange for Cam Reddish.

My logic here is that the Hawks are said to be considering a 1st in a swap for Cam but the Knicks’ pick in 2022 will likely be too high for it to be worth it for New York.

So kicking the can down the road and sending a 2023 first by way of Dallas out to Atlanta instead but would be the smarter move.

The Knicks sweeten the deal by giving the Hawks what should be a decent 2nd rounder in this year’s upcoming draft.

It might be wishful thinking on my end, but so what?

Do you think this is a good deal for the NY Knicks?

For Atlanta, this is pretty simple…they’re broke.

The Hawks have recently extended Trae Young, Clint Capela, John Collins, and Kevin Huerter while De’Andre Hunter is also up for an extension this offseason.

Cam Reddish is the odd man out, and the league knows it.

Unfortunately, he just hasn’t shown enough to warrant the Hawks extending him and instead moving on from one of the other highly paid players such as Danilo Gallinari or Bogdan Bogdanovic.

The Hawks already have two picks in the first round of the 2022 draft, one being from OKC, so why not grab another first in the 2023 draft instead of overloading this year.

The 2023 draft is viewed by many as a great draft class and could also be what some are calling a ‘double draft’ in that high school students will once again be eligible to be drafted instead of having to be one year removed.

This is a huge reason why the Knicks have been loading up in that year’s second-round, as it’ll likely be one of the deepest draft classes of all time.

The Knicks would only make this move if they decided to start blowing the team up and returning to the idea of a true rebuild.

Reddish is just 22-years-old and is entering the 4th year of his rookie contract, just like RJ Barrett.

Pairing the two former Duke Bluedevils would be a cute little idea, but I’d have to imagine the end goal would be to ultimately reunite all of the former Duke stars from the 2019 class.

#Zion2NY

It’s a decent idea, but I’m not totally sold on the Knicks blowing it up just yet and a trade for Reddish would be a step in that direction.

I say no, but what about you, Knicks fam?