Los Angeles Lakers fans have been anxiously waiting for their team to make a trade. Fortunately, L.A. is presumably still evaluating all of its options behind the scenes, and one player some people within the organization are reportedly intrigued by is Cam Reddish.
“There are people within the organization very intrigued by New York Knicks forward Cam Reddish — a 6-foot-8, 23-year-old wing — who would give the Lakers size on the perimeter, a massive need,” wrote Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. “He’s also a former lottery pick, the kind of reclamation project the Lakers have had some success with this year with a player like Lonnie Walker IV.
“League sources say the Knicks are seeking a protected first-round pick for Reddish (they sent one to Atlanta in the deal to acquire him — and the [Atlanta] Hawks subsequently used it in their trade for Dejounte Murray). Reddish isn’t currently in the Knicks rotation so the asking price is expected to eventually dip.”
This isn’t the first time the Lakers have been linked to the Duke University product. In fact, it was reported earlier in December that the Lakers were targeting Reddish in trade talks.
Reddish wouldn’t be the flashiest addition for the Lakers, but he’d bring some valuable qualities to the table, including the fact that he has a high ceiling.
At 23 years old, Reddish seemingly has a lot of untapped potential. He hasn’t really found his footing at the NBA level yet, but he was a lottery pick for a reason.
So far, the forward has career averages of 10.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Like many young players, he has struggled from an efficiency standpoint, shooting just 39.3 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from deep during his time in the league.
The youngster would definitely be something of a project for the Lakers, which is an important thing to consider given the fact that L.A.’s primary focus seems to be adding players who can immediately help the squad save its 2022-23 campaign.
Still, Reddish is clearly a name to keep an eye on. If the Lakers were to roll the dice on him and strike gold, that would be a great sign for the future.
The Lakers, who are 13-18, have lost two straight games and are dealing with some key injuries. They have five games left before the calendar flips to 2023. Those games will come against the Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat and Hawks.