Fantasy basketball players who had to get rid of Cam Reddish after his move would have been interested in checking out his debut with the New York Knicks on Sunday night.
Reddish, a lottery pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, was rumored to be a trade piece for the Atlanta Hawk and things materialized on that front earlier this month when the Hawks agreed to trade the small forward to the Knicks in a transition that should have seen him take up a notable role given the flashes he’s shown in his third NBA season.
The Hawks have gotten Kevin Knox from New york, as well as a protected 2022 first-round pick from the Charlotte Hornets. In addition to landing Reddish, the Knicks got veteran Solomon Hill and a 2025 second-round pick.
Reddish must have been pretty excited over the opportunity to play with former Duke teammate RJ Barrett and it’s likely he expected to be handed more minutes. The 22-year-old is posting career bests this season, scoring 11.9 points per game on 40.2 percent shooting, 37.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc, and 90 percent from the free-throw line. However, he was playing a career-low 23.4 minutes with the Hawks.
He scored 30 points twice in December, showing how effective he could be when allowed more time on the floor. Fantasy owners should have been intrigued by the possibilities of a career in New York.
From the outside, the move appears to be great for both parties. Reddish offers low risk and high reward as the Knicks haven’t had to give much up in order to get the former Duke star, who could function as a third scoring option behind Barrett and Julius Randle while Derrick Rose remains injured.
As for Atlanta, they must have gone into the deal with the understanding that Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter would continue on as usual. Fantasy users might find that the pair are good for increased production as the weeks go by. De’Andre Hunter returned this month after spending two months sidelined with wrist surgery and he could be the player who benefits the most from Reddish’s departure in the long run.
His scoring has dropped around three points since his return but there is the potential to put up big returns for his fantasy owners.
Reddish was reported to have quietly asked to be traded after the Hawks exited the playoffs last year as the most recent campaign was a difficult one for him. The forward struggled with injuries, was the subject of constant trade rumors, underwent a coaching change, and is understood to have wanted out by the end of it all. The situation wasn’t great for him and his lowered minutes this season couldn’t have made things any better.
He was keen on finding greener pastures, New York did seem like a good landing spot considering the culture is changing over there, though not as successfully this season. With Evan Fournier not quite living up to expectations, it seemed like there was even more of an opportunity for Reddish to flourish.
Since getting his wish, however, it certainly seems like he was better off back in Atlanta, as fantasy users must have found out by now. For Knicks fans who are interested in setting up a team, fantasy is available from Fanduel New York and the platform offers plenty of betting offers too.
Reddish, who was averaging nearly 12 points a game with the Hawks, was kept inactive for five games before making his debut against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, playing only five minutes and scoring his two points off a lovely reverse lay-up in the win.
He was not involved when the Knicks lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers the following night. After Sunday’s win, head coach Tom Thibodeau confirmed he plans to stick with a tight rotation.
“The one thing is just trying to establish a routine,” Thibodeau said. “When we were playing well, we pretty much had a nine-man rotation. But when I have opportunities to get him in, I want to get him in. And it was good just to let him get his feet wet a little bit. He’s working really well in practice. You never know in this league, you can have an injury and the next thing you’re in there. I look at a guy like Quentin. He benefited from everyone being out, got in there, played well and he’s still in there.”
While things weren’t the best in Atlanta, it was much better for Reddish than playing for a coach who isn’t even sure he wants him. It’s going to be an uphill battle getting his career back on track but the player could take heart from the fact that Kemba Walker was frozen from the team earlier this season and is now thriving.
Fantasy owners can’t afford to be that patient, however.
