NBA Trade Grades: Hawks send Cam Reddish to Knicks for Kevin Knox and future pick

In a trade involving four teams, the Atlanta Hawks are trading Cam Reddish, Solomon Hill and a 2025 second-rounder for Kevin Knox and a 2022 first-rounder.

One month after trades open up for players picked up in free agency, a comprehensive list includes those who are restricted, those with at least two years remaining on current contracts, and those with expiring contracts.

The Jan 13. trade between the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks includes players with each of those stipulations, as well as high-grade draft picks that could shape the future of each of these East Coast franchises.

The Atlanta Hawks are sending Cam Reddish, Solomon Hill, and a 2025 second-round pick (originally from Brooklyn) to the New York Knicks. In return, the Knicks are sending Kevin Knox and a protected first-round pick (originally from Charlotte) to Atlanta.

While New York clearly gets a steal in Cam Reddish, Atlanta apparently gets the first-round pick they desired.

Which team won in the Cam Reddish/Solomon Hill/Kevin Knox trade?

The Knicks have a reputation for being a tortured franchise, but this move for Reddish is perceived as a big win for New York.

The Knicks were able to leverage the pick they received from Charlotte into a year of an inexpensive Reddish and Hill instead of keeping Knox. Knox has a $5.8 million salary, while Reddish is worth $4.6 million this year and Hill is worth $1.6 million.

Even though the Knicks overpaid for their Charlotte pick, downgrading to a second-round pick still works for New York. As Jared Dubin of CBS Sports predicts, that Charlotte pick has “a decent chance of being two future 2nd” round picks.

It’s also worth noting that Reddish will be reunited with RJ Barrett, his former Duke teammate. Reddish also joins a cast of young stars in New York, with Reddish, Barrett, Immanuel Quickly, Obi Toppin, Miles McBride and more all being under 23 years old. It helps a New York team that maintains a reputation for being too old — if this is how they’re rebuilding their roster, there’s hope yet for NYC.

Knicks Grade: A

On the surface, it looks like the Hawks got fleeced by the Knicks for Reddish, but a focused look on what the Hawks need, can afford and are contemplating for the future makes the result a little more complex.

Hawks fans are irate about receiving Kevin Knox for a talent like Reddish, trading one proven talent for an unproven one.

However, as Wojnarowski noted, it was the first-round pick that sealed the deal for the Hawks. Earlier reports that Quentin Grimes was initially on the table, but instead, the Knicks parted ways with Knox, who is three years removed from being an eighth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. With the Knicks, Knox has accomplished little considering his first-round allure, but that could change with the Hawks.

Even if the Knicks got the better immediate outcome, the Hawks weathered the ship as best they could in their current situation. With too many wings and not enough capital to compensate players down the line, trading Reddish rather than losing him in free agency at least allows them to rebuild their team through the draft.

Instead of losing Reddish or rotating their many talented young wings, the Hawks can focus on building up their defense, which has demonstrated deficiencies after their unexpected NBA Finals appearance last season.

While the full implications of the trade will take time to play out, the trade can be reassessed as soon as this Saturday, when the Knicks head to Atlanta for what will now be a contentious game.

Hawks Grade: C