3 difficult offseason decisions the Knicks must make
By Adam Kester
Will the New York Knicks make Cam Reddish a core player?
I tend to find Cam Reddish’s situation with the Knicks very puzzling. While it’s nowhere near as pressing as Robinson’s long-term status, Reddish will be eligible for a contract extension this offseason.
As we know, New York went out and traded for Reddish at the deadline in exchange for Kevin Knox and Charlotte’s protected first-round pick.
Reddish wanted out of Atlanta due to a lack of playing time. He ended up in Manhattan, where he’s been getting even less playing time. The situation is confusing and to me is just one of many signs of the lack of communication between the front office and Tom Thibodeau.
We’re always talking about “analytics vs. eye test” and Reddish is a true eye-test player. His blend of size, athleticism, body control, and technical ability are oh so tantalizing as a scorer. Yet, he hasn’t had any consistent playing time to really show what he can do.
This isn’t saying that Reddish needs to be thrown into the starting lineup and play 35 minutes a night because that’s impossible. But rather, the Knicks need to figure out why they traded for him. He has the “elite player” label basked into his range of NBA career outcomes.
New York can’t afford to have him as an end of bench player next season playing 10 minutes a game. What does that do for anyone? If the Knicks wanted a depth piece that can score, there’s an abundance of those in the league.
With Reddish eligible for a second contract, his team is going to have to find a consistent and sizeable role for him next season.