Knicks eyeing familiar face as Cam Reddish trade talks intensify

Reddish has been available for trade since he fell out of New York's rotation following a blowout loss to Dallas on Dec. 3. Fred Katz of The Athletic initially reported that New York wanted to include Reddish in a trade to dump Evan Fournier's dismal contract. However, the price has come down since then. 

Per Stein, New York seeks second-round draft compensation for the 23-year-old wing. The Bucks, Lakers and Mavericks have all reportedly expressed interest in trading for him. If the Knicks trade Reddish to Dallas, they'd like former Knick Reggie Bullock in return. 

Bullock, 31, started 64 games for the Knicks in 2020-21 and was a key piece of their fourth-seed finish in the Eastern Conference. He averaged 10.9 points per game, shooting 41% from behind the arc. His steady play earned him a three-year, $30.5 million deal with Dallas the following offseason. 

While Bullock was a crowd favorite in New York, he has been one of the worst players in the NBA this season. His player efficiency rating this season (6.2) is far below his career average (10.1). His scoring has dropped to 5.8 PPG, and he's only shooting 33.8% from three. 

It would be an understatement to say Bullock, or any other type of compensation New York actively desires, would be a frustrating and puzzling return for Reddish. 

The Knicks traded former lottery pick Kevin Knox and a protected first-round pick to acquire Reddish and haven't done anything but tank his value since his arrival. He barely played last year, averaging 14.3 minutes per game in 15 appearances before suffering a season-ending right shoulder AC joint injury. 

Reddish was carving out a role earlier this season, but his defensive inconsistency and questionable shot selection landed him back in head coach Tom Thibodeau's doghouse. He played in 20 games this season, making eight starts, before falling out of the rotation. 

The Reddish situation will leave a smudge on Knicks president Leon Rose's resume, and rightly so. It's hard to justify his decision to give up assets for a player, not play him, and then flip him for less in under a year. 

Hopefully, with the additional draft compensation from a Reddish deal, Rose will have enough assets to make his long-awaited splash of bringing a superstar to New York.