Cam Reddish is telling Los Angeles Lakers fans that they will appreciate his game on both ends of the floor in his first season with the team as he looks to turn around his NBA career.
“I think the ability to do it on both sides of the ball. Bring that energy on defense and then offensive being able to do a variety of different things.” Cam Reddish on what the #Lakers fans will enjoy most about his game. pic.twitter.com/C5E3wGWTmS
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) August 9, 2023
Reddish is one of several free agent additions the Lakers made this offseason, along with Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince and Jaxson Hayes. The 23-year-old agreed to a two-year contract after finishing last season with the Portland Trail Blazers following a trade from the New York Knicks.
The Duke University product averaged 9.7 points per game in 40 games combined (20 with each team). It was the latest disappointing campaign for the former top-10 draft pick, who was removed from the Knicks’ rotation and did not play for them after Dec. 3 before he was traded to the Trail Blazers on Feb. 9 as part of a four-team deal.
The Lakers reportedly were interested in Reddish before the NBA trade deadline but decided to acquire Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards instead. Now, the two will be teammates after Hachimura re-signed with Los Angeles this offseason, as did Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell.
Reddish has played more than 49 games only once in his first four NBA seasons. He is likely to compete with second-year player Max Christie for playing time this season, with Christie reportedly holding an edge right now.
Christie played 41 games in his rookie season, averaging 3.1 points and 12.5 minutes per contest after he was a second-round choice (No. 35 overall) in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Michigan State University product recently was named All-Summer League Second Team after averaging 19.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
Reddish mentioned how as a newcomer, he is adapting to a team that has continuity from last season, when the Lakers rallied late in the campaign before making a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals, where they were swept by the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets.
With LeBron James back for a 21st NBA season and Anthony Davis armed with a new contract extension, the Lakers are poised to make another run at the title. They will need contributions from players like Reddish, who could improve his standing as a player around the league in the process.
