Why Did The Hawks Move On From Cam Reddish?

The 22-year-old wing out of Duke has flashed plenty of promise with the Hawks.

Reddish has great size (6-foot-8), athleticism, and shooting ability.

And after a slow start to his career, the pure stroke he displayed in high school is starting to shine through (38 percent on 4.5 threes-per-game this season).

Despite the number of gambles he takes, Reddish’s perimeter defense is solid.

So the question is, why did the Hawks move on from a player who has the archetype so highly coveted in the modern NBA?

Hawks Couldn’t Afford Reddish’s Extension

The biggest reason Atlanta moved on from Reddish is they didn’t want to foot the bill for his upcoming rookie extension.

His four-year rookie contract is set to expire after the 2022-23 season, making him extension eligible this upcoming offseason.

Trae Young and John Collins were both locked up in August 2021 to five-year deals.

Young on a rookie-scale max extension and Collins on a five-year, $125 million deal using his Bird rights.

They also have $50 million committed to Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Kevin Huerter next season.

And they have a rookie-scale extension looming for De’Andre Hunter this offseason, a player the Hawks value more highly than Reddish.

With the 2022-23 projected salary cap at $119 million, the Hawks already have $113 million on the books even after removing Danilo Gallinari‘s non-guaranteed money and not factoring in Hunter’s extension.

Projections have a Reddish extension in the $15-$20 million range annually and a Hunter extension in the ~$25 million range annually.

If the Hawks tried to bring back both, they would have been well into the luxury tax.

Since Atlanta had already decided they did not want to pay Reddish’s next extension, a trade was the best move forward for both parties.

Adding Draft Pick For A Future Trade?

Another reason the Hawks may have moved on from Reddish so soon is they may be players in a bigger trade down the line.

Atlanta’s name has crept into recent rumors swirling around the Ben Simmons trade saga.

By trading away Reddish, the Hawks picked up an extra first-round pick via the Hornets.

First-round picks are immensely valuable in trade discussions.

Atlanta already owned all of their own picks through 2028, but now picks up an extra first in 2022.

If the Hawks do involve themselves in trade discussions for a star, they have the ammo to do so.

Promising young players and first-round picks will make them players in any major deals.