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NBA Trade Rumors: Cam Reddish Drawing Interest; Hawks Seeking 1st-Round Pick
December 13, 2021
The Atlanta Hawks are receiving trade interest in swingman Cam Reddish, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Atlanta appears to be placing a premium on the 22-year-old, with Charania reporting the Hawks are looking to get back a first-round pick in any trade.
The franchise has flexed its financial muscle over the last few years, signing Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic and giving extensions to John Collins, Clint Capela, Trae Young and Kevin Huerter. With Young's five-year, $172.6 million extension set to kick in, the Hawks are on pace to have the NBA's fourth-biggest payroll in 2022-23, per Spotrac.
The dilemma for general manager Travis Schlenk is figuring out how much he's willing to commit to the current roster. Gallinari is due to hit free agency in 2023-24, and Reddish and De'Andre Hunter will be eligible to become restricted free agents.
Reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last year was a great achievement, but the Hawks have quickly fallen back to earth as they sit ninth in the Eastern Conference at 13-13. At some point, the front office might need to pull the trigger on a trade for another star, and that will be difficult if Gallinari, Hunter and Reddish all receive extensions.
Reddish has shown improvement in his third season. He's averaging 11.1 points and 2.7 steals while shooting 40.1 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from three-point range. He's also using his 6'8" frame to be an effective defender on the perimeter.
There's no question the 2019 first-round is a steady contributor for the Hawks right now. In the long term, though, his value to the organization might be highest as a trade asset. He could either fit into a deal for a marquee name or bring back a high draft pick to use on a young player whose rookie deal will ease Atlanta's financial burden.
Perhaps Reddish's star continues to rise to a point where the Hawks basically have to re-sign him like with Collins and Young. For now, the organization is smart to at least be willing to engage in conversations with opposing teams.