Los Angeles Lakers "Very Intrigued" By New York Knicks Forward

The Los Angeles Lakers are still considering the trade route for upgrades, with or without Anthony Davis for the time being. According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, the Purple & Gold have their eye on New York Knicks forward Cam Reddish, who appears to be readily available. 

There are people within the organization very intrigued by New York Knicks forward Cam Reddish — a 6-foot-8, 23-year-old wing — who would give the Lakers size on the perimeter, a massive need. He’s also a former lottery pick, the kind of reclamation project the Lakers have had some success with this year with a player like Lonnie Walker IV.

The Knicks' alleged price of a first-round pick for Reddish seems like an exorbitant ask for a player who hasn't been able to crack their rotation in the 11 months that he's been there. 

Teams have viewed the Lakers as "desperate" to make a trade this season, writes Woike, but the Davis injury could actually, in a strange way, give them a negotiating advantage, he explains. 

As a rival executive says, "if negotiated properly... the Davis injury could give the Lakers leverage ... by giving them a very real reason (in other teams' eyes) to shut down talks and focus on the offseason." This way, the teams on the other end of the line would feel that they need to bring the asking price down in order to get the Lakers to bite. 

As for Reddish, "there are still evaluators who believe in Reddish’s talent," writes Woike, "and think that the right teammate — say, someone with the gravitas of LeBron James — could unlock the potential teams saw when they tabbed him as a top prospect in the 2019 NBA Draft."

Photo: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports