Cam Reddish Reacts to Knicks Trade Request Reports

Reddish has made things clear regarding trade rumors centered around his name.

© Bill Streicher, USA TODAY

The trade speculation surrounding Cam Reddish and the New York Knicks is nothing new. 

On Thursday - which happened to be Reddish's 23rd birthday -  the New York Post threw some gas onto this fire, reporting that Reddish wants "a change of scenery" in order to seek a larger role. HoopsHype reported last month that Reddish was a name of recent trade interest to the Los Angeles Lakers. Reddish was a potential trade candidate on draft night as well, though the Knicks would up dealing away Kemba Walker instead. 

So, at this point, it's not a foreign concept.

But amidst his birthday festivities, the former Duke star and 10th overall pick in 2019 took to social media to put any rumors of a trade request to bed. As the team's official Instagram shared a happy birthday post for Reddish, many Knicks fans in the comments mentioned the awkward timing given the earlier reports that had surfaced.

He commented directly under a user who pointed out that Reddish had reportedly requested to be traded. Apparently tired of the talk, Reddish made things clear.

"When I do that? Y'all be trippin, [sic]" he replied. 

Already entering his fourth NBA season, Reddish just turned 23. Needless to say, his development is far from over and New York's attempt to move him quickly is unlikely to earn anything of equal or greater future value in return.

To that end, Reddish's offensive skillset, untapped defensive potential, and youth should have the Knicks excited for what's to come rather than making a quick and rash trade decision before the season, even if he might still be a bit raw at times.

Before a March shoulder injury sidelined him for the latter stage of this past season, the Knicks never saw the value they expected of Reddish after shipping Kevin Knox and a 2022 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for his services. Reddish never played more than 23 minutes in a game and scored in double figures just twice in 15 appearances with New York.

It's worth taking a look at the positives Reddish brings when assessing his trade value. He has averaged 10.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 steals on 38.7 percent shooting since arriving in the league. 

Reddish's impressive size at 6-8, 217 lbs. makes his late-bloomer potential all the more promising. His height rivals that of current Knicks big men Julius Randle, Obi Toppin, and Jericho Sims. With a pure perimeter skillset unmatched by any of these three, he's the kind of secondary or tertiary scorer that blooms with All-Star level traits. 

Reddish is nothing if not a confident and effortless shooter and he's got all the physical tools necessary to become a reliable, or even high-quality, defender in time. The aforementioned size and a 7-1 wingspan combined with his natural athleticism sound like the makings of a solid defender at worst. The question comes down to his motor and overall effort. 

So what are the downsides? For starters, Reddish is set to be a restricted free agent next offseason and the Knicks may not have a similarly positive vision for him. Rather than lose him for next to nothing or be forced to match an offer sheet that could be too steep, the Knicks could pursue a midseason trade scenario, betting on Reddish to perform well in the opening stages of the fall before trading him at his highest value.

Regardless, Reddish's inefficiency has its own level of concern. He's a career 32.5 percent three-point shooter, which averages out to about 1.4 makes for every 4.2 attempts from deep. Efficiency is one of the smaller concerns for a 23-year-old shooter, but it's worth monitoring.

Reddish may have made it clear that he didn't ask for a trade, but this doesn't mean the Knicks aren't considering it themselves. Given that New York may have lost out on a chance to include him in a potential blockbuster for Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell - who was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday - Reddish's value could still be used in a smaller trade elsewhere before the season starts as the Knicks continue to build.