"Thibs didn’t want him and they did it anyway" - NBA source suggests Tom Thibodeau didn't want the New York Knicks to go through with the Cam Reddish trade
The New York Knicks acquired Atlanta Hawks small forward Cam Reddish on Jan. 13. The deal saw the Knicks give up a first-round pick in the 2022 draft via the Charlotte Hornets, along with Kevin Knox II. Aside from getting Reddish, the Knicks also snagged a second-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, coach Tom Thibodeau was against the Cam Reddish trade, but the Knicks front office went through with it regardless. The deal is said to have been sanctioned by Knicks president Leon Rose against Thibodeau's wishes.
Tom Thibodeau wasn’t into Cam Reddish trade, per source #Knicks #NBA #Jazz nypost.com/2022/02/07/tom…
The Hawks were set to offload some wing players as the position was crowded with talent. Because Reddish had lost favor, his trade out of the franchise became a priority. Although he attained some level of growth this season compared to previous seasons, "Killer Cam" was unable to procure a contract extension.
Cam Reddish's move to New York Knicks met with heavy resistance from coach Tom Thibodeau
Cam Reddish was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2019 as the 10th overall pick. He made his debut on Oct. 24, 2019, in a win over the Detroit Pistons.
As a rookie, he played in 58 games, with 34 starts. "Killer Cam," as he is fondly called, averaged 10.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 26.7 minutes per game. He shot 38.4%, netting 3.7 of 9.6 attempts and 1.4 threes of 4.3 attempts from beyond the arc.
Midway through his third seasons in Atlanta, Reddish was traded to the New York Knicks. He has yet to start for the Knicks and has played in only three of seven games, averaging 7.0 minutes in those appearances, since his arrival.
As part of their goal to clear a rotation spot for Cam Reddish, the Knicks could have a busy week leading up to the trade deadline.
Could CJ McCollum be a target? Is it possible Mitchell Robinson would be moved?
(@IanBegley) https://t.co/Z9oCUQHFnj
Tom Thibodeau seems clear on his stance of Reddish not fitting into his team. In his debut for the Knicks, Reddish played only in the second quarter, totaling five minutes. His second outing came against the Miami Heat, when he was on the court for 10 minutes. His third appearance lasted five minutes in a blowout win against the Sacramento Kings.
In the Knicks' last two games, Thibodeau left him out of the game entirely. Even with their last game against the LA Lakers going into overtime, Reddish was left on the bench. With the Knicks playing at the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night, there exists a chance Thibodeau has figured out how best to put Reddish's skills to use.