2023 NBA Free Agency: Cam Reddish signs 2-year deal with the LA Lakers
The LA Lakers continued to cook on the first day of free agency after signing Cam Reddish to a two-year contract. Reddish has been linked to the Lakers for a couple of years and now he's finally in Hollywood.
Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported Reddish's deal with the Lakers. However, the details of the contract remain undisclosed. Before signing the former lottery pick, there were rumors that the Lakers were interested in bringing him on a veteran's minimum.
Free agent Cam Reddish has agreed to a two-year deal with the Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Cam Reddish was the No. 10 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. Reddish was productive for the Hawks during his two-and-a-half years there but was unhappy with his playing time.
He averaged 11.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals for the Hawks while shooting 38.5% from the field, 32.9% from beyond the arc and 83.3% from the free throw line.
Reddish was traded to the New York Knicks midway through the 2021-22 season. However, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau didn't like what he saw from him at the start of last season and removed him from the rotation in December.
New York then traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers. He was good for Portland as a starter or off the bench. He averaged 11.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 20 games for the Blazers. He shot 44.3% from the field and 31.8% from the 3-point area.
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LA Lakers active in free agency
The LA Lakers have been pretty busy on the first day of free agency. They brought in Taurean Prince for a one-year, $4.5 million deal then signed Gabe Vincent to a three-year, $33 million contract.
Rui Hachimura, who was a restricted free agent, agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal to return to the Lakers. Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported that GM Rob Pelinka and the Lakers are still not done making moves.
Buha noted that the Lakers are interested in bringing back Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell. Furthermore, they have the capability to sign both guards, while also retaining the rights to sign two more veteran's as minimum free agents.
After their last two signings (Rui Hachimura and Cam Reddish), the Lakers have enough room to bring both Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell back as well as sign two more veteran’s minimum free agents. They clearly need at least one more big.
With Mo Bamba getting waived, the LA Lakers will need a backup big man or possibly two due to Anthony Davis' injury history. Some of the top centers available in free agency include Brook Lopez, Christian Wood and Mason Plumlee.
The Lakers reached the Western Conference finals last season and they are expecting to do the same or go even further next year. However, they would need several bodies to throw at Nikola Jokic, who remains the biggest threat in the West.
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