Knicks could explore other trades after Cam Reddish deal?

The Hawks traded Cam Reddish, Solomon Hill and 2025 second-round pick to the Knicks in exchange for Kevin Knox and a protected first-round pick on Thursday. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, the Hawks were interested in acquiring Quentin Grimes, but the Knicks were reluctant to part with the rookie, who was the 25th overall pick of the 2021 draft.

The Knicks are likely to explore other trades ahead of the deadline and are known to be interested in Myles Turner and Jalen Brunson, Begley reports. He mentions that any player on New York’s roster could be on the table for the right player, pointing to Alec Burks and Mitchell Robinson as players who could draw interest, but the Knicks likely would want a top-end starter in return for Burks and/or Robinson.

Teams pursuing Reddish expect him to command a salary in the range of $18M-$20M per season on his next contract, whether it be this summer in an extension or as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2023, so Begley believes the Knicks must be open to that figure unless they plan to trade him again in the future.

Here’s more on the trade between Atlanta and New York:

• Atlanta had been seeking a first-round pick for Reddish for several months and never wavered in its asking price, per Fred Katz and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. The Pacers, Cavaliers, Pistons and Lakers were among the teams interested in Reddish, with L.A. recently offering two second-round picks for the third-year wing. Reddish requested a trade from Atlanta months ago, which led to awkwardness in the team’s locker room, and it was inevitable he would be dealt once a team met Atlanta’s asking price, Katz and Kirschner relay. Reddish was reportedly unhappy with his role as a spot-up shooter and desired more playmaking opportunities, which is questionable given he has more turnovers than assists in his career. It’s unclear how he’ll fit in with the Knicks, who have a crowded rotation when healthy, so finding more minutes than the 23.4 per game Reddish was getting could be a challenge. Katz and Kirschner believe the first-round pick Atlanta acquired could be used in a subsequent trade, perhaps for Ben Simmons or Jerami Grant.
• Zach Harper of The Athletic and Kevin Pelton of ESPN provide their grades for the trade.
• John Hollinger of The Athletic thinks that the trade is in the eye of the beholder, because while Reddish has the size and talent to be a good NBA player, the idea of him has been better than his actual play to this point in his career. The winner of the deal will ultimately depend on how Reddish develops, Hollinger notes. He adds that Hawks were -10.0 points per 100 possessions with Reddish on the court, and +5.7 per 100 when he’s off.
• ESPN’s Bobby Marks provides his thoughts on the deal, essentially saying it’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward for the Knicks, but the Hawks got fair value for Reddish, too.
• Sources tell Marc Berman of the New York Post that Reddish and RJ Barrett didn’t get along well at Duke, and some in the Knicks front office wanted to trade back to draft Reddish in 2019.