The New York Knicks made waves by acquiring Cam Reddish via trade.
And just like that, NBA trade season is officially upon us. The New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks have made the first significant trade of the season, hopefully, one that will only open the door from what we can expect at the NBA Trade Deadline.
The Knicks have acquired Cam Reddish, Solomon Hill, and 2025 second-round pick (via Brooklyn) from the Hawks in exchange for Kevin Knox and a 2022 protected first-round pick (via Charlotte).
As the Knicks continue to spiral around .500, they will immediately gain some reinforcements with Reddish. He’s such a polarizing young player that there are some that believe he won’t be anything more than a rotation player in the league. Then, there are some that believe he’s a future all-star that simply needed the right role.
Atlanta, for one reason or another, simply couldn’t offer him that. The Hawks, who weren’t in a place where they could extend him during the offseason, made the move that they believed was necessary.
The Hawks get a first-round pick and take a flier on Knox.
In the eyes of many, New York will come away as the big winner in this deal. Not only does the Knicks get a player that will be able to help the team immediately, to whatever extent they see fit, but also one that could have some long-term potential.
Reddish played at Duke with RJ Barrett so there will already be some familiarity between one of the team’s leaders. Through the first half of this season, Reddish was averaging 12 points on 38 percent shooting from the field. He played a limited role; 23 minutes per game.
It’ll be interesting to see what type of role Tom Thibodeau creates for him when he joins the Knicks. But there’s no question that he’ll offer some depth and an added scoring threat off the bench almost immediately.
I’m not sure if this is a move that the Knicks hoped would help them immensely this season, but this is absolutely one that could pay big dividends in a year or two.