The Knicks are reuniting RJ Barrett with an previous Duke teammate.
Now they’re solely lacking Zion Williamson to recreate Duke’s former Huge 3 in New York.
The Knicks swung a commerce for Cam Reddish on Thursday, buying the 6-foot-8 wing from the Hawks in alternate for Kevin Knox and a protected first-round decide from the Hornets, the crew introduced. The Knicks additionally obtained Solomon Hill and a 2025 second-round decide, through the Nets.
Reddish, 22, was averaging 11.9 factors on 37.9 p.c capturing from deep in 34 video games this season with Atlanta. The Tenth-overall decide in 2019 — the identical draft by which Barrett went third total — seems to be a low-risk, high-upside addition for the Knicks as they attempt to proceed their push again into playoff competition after a 21-21 begin to the season.
Each time he is able to go well with up together with his new crew — he missed Atlanta’s recreation Wednesday with an ankle sprain — Reddish will possible come off the bench behind starters Barrett and Evan Fournier. He might even get a right away likelihood to face his previous crew as a result of the Knicks play at Atlanta on Saturday.
Reddish is reportedly looking for an extension this summer time, although he's below contract by way of at the least 2023, at which level the Knicks may have his restricted free-agent rights. Within the meantime, he might probably carve out a much bigger position in New York after preventing for enjoying time in Atlanta alongside fellow wings Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter and De’Andre Hunter.
Barrett and Reddish have been one-and-dones for the 2018-2019 Duke crew that went to the Elite Eight, although the 2 didn’t actually get alongside, sources advised The Put up’s Marc Berman. Knicks brass has at all times been intrigued by Reddish’s versatility — from his means to shoot the three to his protection — and a few crew personnel even wished to commerce again from No. 3 within the 2019 draft to take Reddish.
As a substitute, lower than three years later, the Knicks have each Barrett and Reddish on their roster. And Reddish’s arrival comes at a time when Barrett has come alive, with back-to-back 30-point video games.
Buying and selling the third-year Reddish landed the Hawks a first-round decide that they may use in future offers to safe a much bigger piece — maybe even in pursuit of Ben Simmons. The Hawks, who beat the Knicks within the first spherical of the playoffs final season, entered Thursday in twelfth place within the Jap Convention (proper behind the Knicks) at 17-23.
The primary-round decide the Knicks are sending to the Hawks is top-18 protected in 2022, top-16 in 2023 and top-14 in 2024 and 2025. If the Hornets maintain the decide by way of 2025, it'll flip into second-round picks in 2026 and 2027. The Knicks had initially acquired the decide from the Hornets in a commerce final July for the No. 19 decide within the 2021 NBA draft.
The commerce marks the tip of Knox’s disappointing tenure in New York. The No. 9-overall decide in 2018 averaged 8.2 factors throughout 195 video games (61 begins) as a Knick. His finest manufacturing got here as a rookie, however he has performed solely sparingly this season and is ready to develop into a restricted free agent this summer time.
Hill, who's on an expiring contract, is out for the season with a torn hamstring however helps stability out the cash within the deal. The Knicks waived guard Ryan Arcidiacono, who was on a 10-day contract, to make room for Hill.
The Knicks have been 11-14 final season after they traded for Derrick Rose. The veteran level guard delivered a spark whereas proving to be a powerful match, serving to the Knicks safe a shock playoff berth.
It stays to be seen whether or not they may add extra assist earlier than this 12 months’s Feb. 10 commerce deadline, however the Reddish deal figures to be a play for now and the long run.
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