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Did Knicks make right call with offseason handling of Cam Reddish?

ByJordanna Clark|
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 07: Cam Reddish #0 of the New York Knicks holds the ball in the second quarter of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on November 7, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 07: Cam Reddish #0 of the New York Knicks holds the ball in the second quarter of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on November 7, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

After trading a protected first-round pick for Cam Reddish in January, the No. 10 pick in the 2019 draft played in only 15 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in March. During the offseason, there was more talk about Reddish possibly being traded than there was about the Knicks signing him to an extension by Oct. 17. The deadline came and went, and nothing happened for the 23-year-old.

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto recently confirmed that there were no “serious extension talks” for Reddish. However, with Reddish in his first full season in New York, he’s earned an increased role with Quentin Grimes’ foot injury and Evan Fournier being taken out of the starting lineup.

Reddish has started in six of the 14 games that he’s played and is averaging 9.1 points. In the Knicks’ past two games against the Jazz and Thunder, he’s been one of New York’s best players on the floor.

Does Cam Reddish have a future with the New York Knicks?

In the preseason when Reddish was granted an opportunity to start against the Pacers at MSG, he disappointed. In 22 minutes of play, he recorded two points (1-for-7), two rebounds, and two assists. He then followed that up with 10 points (3-for-10), three rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal. Three days before the extension deadline, Reddish recorded two points (1-for-5) and two rebounds in nine minutes of play.

So, no, Reddish not signing an extension with the Knicks wasn’t unexpected. After an impressive opening night performance in Memphis, it appeared as if he had turned a corner, but the biggest issue that Reddish struggles with is consistency. That’s been a theme that’s followed him throughout his four-year career.

But for New York, Reddish’s value comes on the defensive end, which is something that the team didn’t get from Fournier, who didn’t play at all against the Jazz. Cam’s seven-foot-one wingspan and versatility on defense are what the Knicks have needed as the team has struggled to find a defensive identity early on.

In recent games though, the biggest thing for Reddish is that he’s been piecing his game together on both ends of the court. Following New York’s win in Utah on Tuesday, Reddish said that he’s been getting “more comfortable and confident” in his role and that he tries to be “aggressive and assertive” on both ends of the floor.

If he keeps it up, fans could start to become accustomed to seeing Reddish in the starting lineup. And as he’s set to be a restricted free agent in the summer, the Knicks could decide to retain him, which seems to be the direction that things are headed in.

We could very well be in the midst of Cam Reddish’s breakout season, so sit back and enjoy the ride.

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