Bleacher Report has an unsurprising take about Knicks’ Cam Reddish

The narrative around Cam Reddish’s tenure with the New York Knicks has gone through several stages. The Knicks acquired Reddish from the Atlanta Hawks in early 2022 in exchange for Kevin Knox and a 2022 first-round draft pick. James Herbert with CBS Sports graded the trade a B+ with the upside of Reddish’s youth and star potential as a major win for the Knicks. Fans agreed that it would be intriguing to see Reddish finally spread his wings with a change of scenery and getting to play alongside his former Duke running mate, RJ Barrett.

Since then, we’ve gone from petitioning on Twitter for Reddish to play more, to now wondering if Reddish will ever be the player all Knicks fans hoped he’d be. His performance in the four preseason games left much to be desired from both fans and New York’s coaching staff.

Bleacher Report suggests the Knicks trade Cam Reddish

Bleacher Report put out an article on Oct. 7 outlining a player each NBA team should consider trading going into the 2022-23 season. Their choice of Cam Reddish is a predictable yet understandable one. Zach Buckley wrote:

"He has yet to conquer the keys to consistency, perhaps because he has struggled to find a consistent stretch of good health."

Health has possibly played a factor. Reddish went down with an ankle injury in his preseason debut against the Detroit Pistons, but he played in every preseason game. It’s his performance in those games that are the most glaring.

In four contests, Reddish averaged 4.3 points, one assist, and two rebounds, shooting 21 percent from the field and 17 percent from three in nearly 16 minutes per game. He was even in the starting lineup against the Indiana Pacers at MSG and shot 1-for-7 and scored just two points.

That up-and-under layup in the video above was easily the only highlight from Reddish’s preseason. When talking about Reddish after his start against the Pacers, Tom Thibodeau said, “He can, and I want all our players to understand, you can play well without shooting well. His length, his athleticism, running the floor, and getting into the paint. I thought he had several good drives…overall some real good things.”

Needless to say, Reddish’s spot in the rotation, and more importantly his spot on this roster, are in jeopardy after a poor showing in the preseason. It is just so jarring how four games that are nothing but dress rehearsals have shifted the fanbases’ perspective on Reddish. It is also difficult to identify a beneficial trade partner or target that would be willing to give Reddish another try. Rebuilding teams such as the Jazz and Spurs would want draft compensation, and contenders such as the Clippers and Bucks typically aren’t looking for young projects.

Reddish still displays small flashes of what is the making of a young athletic 3-and-D player. However, his time to show that capability is running low. The depth at the small forward and two-guard position doesn’t make this any better for him.

Unfortunately, barring a prolonged injury to Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, or RJ Barrett, Reddish will likely see minimal playing time when the season begins on Oct. 19 in Memphis.

Winners and losers from Knicks’ 2022 preseason

With the regular season set to begin in two days, let's take a look at the New York Knicks' preseason winners and losers.