Reportedly, New York coach Tom Thibodeau was not on board to get Cam Reddish. But the Knicks front office gave up Kevin Knox and a first-round pick for the tempting prospect who was haunted by injuries and inconsistencies in his first two and a half seasons in the league.
Reddish sought a change of scenery from Atlanta last season because he wanted a more important role. He ended up in New York, where his role was reduced even more.
Entering the training camp, Reddish thinks he is still from the outside watching as Thibodeau remained unengaged in his role.
Reddish welcomes the competition, but is as puzzled as the fan base is about the Knicks’ plans for him. He is eligible for the extension and the Knicks could use this season to evaluate him. But team president Leon Rose has given Thibodeau full autonomy to decide who will play or not and who will have bigger minutes.
This leaves Reddish in the cold as his former teammate Duke, Barrett, and Julius Randle are entrenched as starting forwards, while Obi Toppin and Quentin Grimes think they are ahead of him for a second unit spot.
Reddish felt the rumors about the trade request were incorrect. But life is unfair. It’s the most important thing he learned in his first three years in the NBA.