Knicks Appear Ready to Trade Cam Reddish
Cam Reddish's time in the New York Knicks' starting lineup ... and perhaps his tenure with the team as a whole ... could be gone in a New York minute.
Having apparently fallen out of head coach Tom Thibodeau's attempt at a nine-man rotation, Reddish is actively being shopped by the Knicks, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. The team has kept Reddish from speaking publicly on his situation, even as his former Atlanta employers descend upon Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN).
Thibodeau and the Knicks (11-13) have struggled to provide Reddish any lasting opportunities. He appeared to find a bit of a defensive rhythm during the early portions of this season, one that allowed him to usurp the starting shooting guard's role from the long-exiled Evan Fournier. Before an eight-game stint in the starting lineup, Reddish previously came through for the Knicks on opening night in Memphis, earning 22 points off the bench and hitting a three-pointer that sent the game into overtime.
But after sustaining a groin injury in Nov. 18's loss to Golden State, one that kept Reddish out of three games, his numbers steadily decline to the point where he was held out of Sunday's win over Cleveland entirely. Quentin Grimes has since established himself in the shooting guard role previously held by Reddish.
Thibodeau has likewise been mum on Reddish's de facto banishment, choosing to focus only the fact he's playing with nine men again.
"It’s not just on Cam, it’s on our team,” the head coach said. “What gives our team the best chance? And so I’d say those are coaching decisions; to decide to go from a 10-man rotation to nine because you feel like it (give)the team the best chance to succeed.
"That’s why you do it. You always have to put the team first. So there are a lot of sacrifices that need to be made by a team. But we’re always going to put what we feel is best for the team first.”
The benching comes as Reddish, the 10th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is looking to prove his professional worth, as the Knicks declined to exercise his rookie contract extension over the summer after he came over from Atlanta in a January trade that sent Kevin Knox and first-round choice south. Reddish struggled to earn minutes, playing just over 14 per game in 15 showings before his season ended early due to a shoulder injury.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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