Could Cam Reddish Deal Foreshadow Tobias Harris 3-Way Trade to Mavs?
The New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks finalized a trade involving Cam Reddish on Thursday, who was selected with the tenth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. How could this move impact the Dallas Mavericks and the rest of the league ahead of the NBA trade deadline? Let's sort this out.
The early perception of the Hawks' trade return is bleak. Kevin Knox II is a recent draft bust, and the 2022 first-round pick Atlanta acquired as well is protected from the Charlotte Hornets. Even if it conveys, it will be because the Hornets had a successful season, which will result in a less desirable pick.
The actual action of the Hawks moving on from Reddish was not a surprise. He is eligible for a contract extension in the summer, so the Knicks had to be willing to give him a said extension by pulling the trigger on this.
One of the more intriguing elements of the Reddish deal that has been discussed is whether it impacts the Hawks' pursuit of Ben Simmons. Atlanta gained another asset to be able to offer a third-team to take on Tobias Harris' contracts. It has been reported recently that the Sixers have tried to include Harris in trade talks.
The previous Mavericks front office regime had interest in Harris before he signed his five-year, $180 million contract, for what it's worth. However, with his ongoing shoulder soreness and lowered perimeter shooting results, is that the type of deal that Dallas wants to make right now?
Dallas would need to either trade Kristaps Porzingis as a part of a larger deal in order to reasonably take on Harris, or find a way to work in a combination of players like Tim Hardaway Jr., Dwight Powell, Reggie Bullock, or Maxi Kleber to make something work salary-wise while keeping Porzingis.
So the next question is, why would the Sixers want to take on players of that caliber, especially if it involved still having future salary on the books? Philadelphia reportedly wants to clear space to pursue a big name like James Harden in free agency this summer, and that's why moving Harris' deal would help.
Harris is a player that can run a ball screen or receive a dribble handoff and make something happen with the ball. He can use his size to attack smaller players on switches and would be a potential screener for Doncic. If the Mavericks considered doing this, they would need to bet that Harris' current 29.9 percent clip from deep would trend much closer back to the 39.4 percent mark he was at last season.
There are genuine concerns with how a trio consisting of Doncic, Porzingis, and Harris would fit together. All three players have sorely regressed in the perimeter shooting department to such a degree that is likely untenable for this particular season. Keep in mind, the defensive impact with each of those players would likely translate to declined results as well.
Getting involved in big trades for the sake of making a move is an unwise practice that must be avoided by the Mavericks. Taking on Harris would have some benefits, in theory, but the overall salary commitment is just too tough to justify.
Another thing to keep in mind when considering potential trade scenarios is that the Dallas Mavericks still need to give Jalen Brunson a big payday in the summer when he's an unrestricted free agent. Overall, the financial gridlock with Luka Doncic beginning a supermax deal would be very hard to navigate with Tobias Harris' deal added into the mix.
But hey... on a lighter note, reuniting Harris with his longtime best friend Boban Marjanovic would be fun to see.
