Why Cam Reddish is a perfect addition for the Los Angeles Lakers
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers are currently working towards trading Russell Westbrook before the 2022-23 season begins and one name that has been caught in the crossfire is Cam Reddish. Reddish has been connected to the Lakers in the past and is a very movable piece for the New York Knicks in a potential multi-team deal.
Reddish himself reportedly wants out of New York as the team seemingly did not have a real plan in place for him when he was traded from the Atlanta Hawks last season. The former 10th-overall pick played in just 15 games for New York, averaging 14.3 minutes per game.
While Reddish’s career numbers are not the most impressive and while he did not make a ton of sense for the team during the season last year, as it stands today, the former Duke Blue Devil makes a lot of sense for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Why Cam Reddish is a perfect addition for the Los Angeles Lakers:
First of all, the method of getting Cam Reddish would simply be genius for the Lakers. He would come to LA as part of a bigger deal in a Donovan Mitchell blockbuster and quite frankly, would be a throwaway piece to make the salary work.
Los Angeles really isn’t trading anything for Reddish, meaning that the team is getting a free young player that they can develop as they deem fit.
At his best, Reddish has a lot to offer as an NBA role player and seemingly fits the mold that NBA teams are looking for in rotational guys. He is a long, six-foot-eigh wing who plays good defense and has shown at times that he can knock down his shots.
The problem is that he has been far too inconsistent, mostly on the offensive side of the ball. Reddish has shot the ball really poorly in his career and has suffered the same kind of offensive inefficiency that Talen Horton-Tucker suffered.
That being said, he still profiles to be a decent shooter in the league and he has had moments where he looks like he is transitioning into a valuable three and D wing. Before Atlanta traded him last season he was shooting 37.9% from three on 4.5 attempts per game. The potential is there.
The Lakers are one of the best teams in the league at developing young players and Reddish is still only 23 (in fact, he turns 23 on the day that I am writing this). If Los Angeles can turn Alex Caruso into a 40% three-point shooter they can unlock the potential that is obviously there offensively for Reddish.
And the rest would take care of itself. His defense is already above-average for a wing and it would only get better playing alongside Anthony Davis and Patrick Beverley. That is the one area where the Lakers really lack a lockdown defender and adding a valuable defensive wing would pay massive dividends in the grand scheme of things.
Heck, imagine if LA somehow manages to get Myles Turner and Reddish in LA. There is a really good defensive lineup that has Beverley, Davis, Reddish and Turner on the floor together. Defense wins championships and that right there is a hard group to score against.
If a trade happens where the New York Knicks are involved, the Los Angeles Lakers would be extremely foolish to not push for Cam Reddish.