Should the Charlotte Hornets look to make a move for Cam Reddish?

It has been a disappointing start to the 2022-23 season for the Charlotte Hornets, as the team currently sits at 7-20 and is in 14th place in the Eastern Conference.

It has also been a disappointing start to the 2022-23 season for New York Knicks small forward Cam Reddish, as the fourth-year guard now finds himself outside of head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.

Do the Charlotte Hornets make sense for Cam Reddish?

With Reddish not in the long-term plans of the Knicks, the team has begun planning for the possibility of a trade. Reddish is slated to become a restricted free agent in 2023, so New York would be wise to recoup some value if possible. However, with Reddish having a disappointing season so far, his trade value is not high; recent reports have said that the Knicks are seeking “second-round pick or a player on a rookie contract with a different skill set”.

The Hornets currently have five second round picks in the next two drafts, so using one to acquire Reddish should not be an issue should the Hornets be interested. As for players on rookie contracts, the only one the Hornets would be likely to move would be James Bouknight, who is mostly out of the rotation in Charlotte. While there is some overlap in skillset between Reddish and Bouknight, the latter is a New York City native and might benefit from being closer to home.

As noted, Reddish is set to hit restricted free agency this offseason, so the Hornets would be wise to think long-term about Reddish’s potential fit before making a deal. Reddish currently has a cap hit just shy of $6 million. Charlotte should have around $35 million in cap space next offseason and could have even more if they move Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier.

Suffice to say, the Hornets have the assets to get Reddish and the cap space to keep him should they want to.

Does Cam Reddish make sense for the Charlotte Hornets?

However, just because the Hornets can acquire Cam Reddish does not mean they should acquire Cam Reddish.

The fact that the Atlanta Hawks moved on from Reddish less than three years into his career and the fact that the Knicks are now looking to move him is a red flag. It is also worth noting how Reddish’s teams have done with and without him; in 2021-22, the Hawks were 15-19 with Reddish and 28-20 without him. The Knicks, meanwhile, were 32-35 without Reddish in 2021-22 and were only 5-10 with him. This season, the Knicks were 9-11 with Reddish in the rotation and are 5-2 since benching him.

There is also the matter of other players at his position already on the roster. The Hornets currently have a small forward rotation of Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Jalen McDaniels, and Reddish would have to compete with all three for minutes. While Hayward has been a prime trade candidate for some time and Oubre Jr. is on an expiring contract and may be a candidate to be moved at the trade deadline, Reddish would still be splitting minutes with them until any move is made. Meanwhile, McDaniels has been having a career year and would still command minutes at the small forward spot.

While the Charlotte Hornets certainly make sense as a landing spot for Cam Reddish and have the ability to both obtain and retain him, Cam Reddish is not a player that makes sense for the Hornets either in the short term or the long term.