Cam Reddish’s struggles make Knicks-Josh Hart trade look even better
Cam Reddish’s 13-month stint with the New York Knicks was far from perfect, with blame placed on both sides. Tom Thibodeau wasn’t inclined to incorporate Reddish into his system, while Reddish was inconsistent when he was on the floor.
It was a given that New York would trade Reddish before the Feb. 2023 deadline, and that’s exactly what happened. The Knicks sent Reddish, salary filler, and a 2023 protected first-round pick to the Trail Blazers for Josh Hart.
New York immediately felt Hart’s impact, as the team won its first nine games with him in the lineup. It didn’t take long for the Knicks fans who joined the Cam Reddish hive to admit that Hart was a better fit in NYC than their beloved young forward.
The newest Knick opted into his $12.9 million option for 2023-24 so that the front office could have the financial flexibility to sign Donte DiVincenzo, his former Villanova teammate. As soon as Hart was eligible to sign an extension in August, he and New York agreed to a four-year, $81 million deal.
Reddish also agreed to a new deal over the offseason as he signed a two-year, $4.6 million contract with the Lakers.
Cam Reddish’s early Lakers struggles make Knicks-Josh Hart trade look even better
Through four games, Reddish is averaging 2.8 points and 2.0 rebounds on 33% shooting from the field in 12 minutes. In LA’s two most recent contests, he went scoreless, although it should be mentioned he played in only five minutes against Sacramento, a game the Lakers lost in overtime.
Lakers fans are already frustrated that Reddish is getting minutes over Max Christie, a 2022 second-round pick who has a three-point shot, something Reddish doesn’t have.
Cam Reddish just bobbled a pass for an open 3 and then air-balled another one. Rough sequence.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 31, 2023
Reddish’s value comes on the defensive end, which was evident in LA’s first two games of the season. He did well defensively against the Nuggets on opening night, but there are always questions about if his offense can catch up.
The 24-year-old was linked to the Lakers several times before landing in California over the summer. Fans were hopeful that Reddish would turn his career around in LA, and while that can still happen, those same fans are left wondering if he deserves a rotation spot.
What has Cam Reddish done to earn a rotation spot?
— Ralph Mason (@Ralph_MasonJr) October 31, 2023
Hopefully, Cam Reddish will be able to change the narrative. There shouldn’t be one Knicks fan rooting against him, but there’s no denying that New York’s front office knocked it out of the park with the Josh Hart trade.