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Lakers rumors: Cam Reddish makes little sense as a trade target

By Jason Reed

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 28: Cam Reddish #21 of the New York Knicks warms up prior to a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on January 28, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 28: Cam Reddish #21 of the New York Knicks warms up prior to a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on January 28, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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The NBA trade deadline is almost here and it appears as if the Los Angeles Lakers are on the brink of a deal. According to the latest Lakers rumors, the Lakers are heavily pursuing New York’s Cam Reddish and may pull off a three-team trade with the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors that would result in Reddish and Alec Burks coming to LA.

Nothing is official about the trade so the exact framework of the deal cannot be broken down. What we do know is that Talen Horton-Tucker would have to be included in the deal and there is also a decent chance that the Lakers would have to trade some draft capital as well.

Regardless of any draft capital that is being traded, this is a weird deal for the Lakers to make. While it seems like a splashy move and Reddish is a recent lottery pick, at this point in time, he really does not make sense for the Lakers as a trade target.

Why the Cam Reddish Lakers rumors do not make sense:

If anything, this is a lateral move by the Los Angeles Lakers. Reddish provides a bit more of a scoring presence and is a better three-point shooter than THT but he is by no means a sharpshooter. Plus, three-point shooting has not been the issue for the Lakers this season, defense has.

Reddish is a below-average defender and certainly does not have the same defensive ability as Horton-Tucker. He also does not have the same playmaking ability as THT. He fits the offense better as an off-ball scorer but that is about it.

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Sure, you could make the case that Reddish has the higher ceiling because he is a top lottery pick but he has done nothing in his short career thus far to indicate that. He could be a late bloomer and that is certainly on the table but it is impossible to sit here and definitively say that he has a higher ceiling than THT just because he was a high pick. How many high picks have we seen flop in the league?

Plus, the Lakers are not really the “right situation” for Reddish. Sure, he would learn from LeBron James and Anthony Davis but the Lakers have been a dumpster fire this season and Reddish is going to be the fourth, maybe even fifth scoring option.

Young players developing nicely around LeBron James? When has that ever been a thing? He could turn into a decent role player for this year’s team but trading him to the Lakers doesn’t give Reddish a better chance of reaching his ceiling than he had with Atlanta or even the Knicks.

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All in all, these Lakers rumors indicate desperation from the Lakers’ front office. This team is not working out and Rob Pelinka is going to do whatever it takes to change something to hope that it clicks. Will it? Probably not.

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