Should the Houston Rockets be Interested in Cam Reddish?

Houston Rockets: What is Cam Reddish’s trade value?

Depending on what segments of the internet you traverse, Cam Reddish’s trade value can fluctuate wildly. In some places, he’s the centerpiece of a trade that nets the Hawks an impact player. In others, he gets the Hawks two second-round picks. 

Focusing on Reddish’s contract first, his trade value is iffy. Reddish is only set to earn $4.6 million this season and has a $5.9 million team option for 2022-23. Those figures give him value, but without context they’re meaningless. 

Reddish will be eligible for an extension this offseason. Any team that trades for him will likely be interested in signing him to an extension. What that contract looks like is far more important to his trade value than the contract he’s currently on. 

As a 3-and-D wing, there is a clear cap to what Reddish can expect to earn. Mikal Bridges signing a four-year $90 million extension with the Suns this offseason has set the market for players with Reddish’s skill set. 

Reddish is nowhere near the player Bridges is. Bridges is a far better defender and a far more efficient scorer than Reddish. Over Birdges’ first three seasons, he averaged 10.2 points per game on 7.6 field goal attempts, compared to Reddish’s 11.3 points per game on 10 field goal attempts. 1.34 points per shot is far more valuable than 1.13, especially when it’s coming from a player who is an elite defender. 

If $20 million a season is out of the cards for Reddish, what should he expect to earn? Players in the $15 to $18 million range include the likes of Lonzo Ball, Caris LeVert, Aaron Gordon, and Duncan Robinson. Reddish hasn’t shown to be on any of these players' levels. The next step down, players in the $14 to $10 million range, includes players such as Marcus Smart, Kyle Kuzma, Kelly Oubre Jr, and Reggie Jackson. 

Just based upon name-value, Reddish appears to be in the $10 to $14 million a season bucket of players. While that might be a fair extension, that doesn’t mean that Reddish values himself accordingly. 

In short, any team that trades for Reddish will be trading for a player on a five-year $60 million contract, should they extend them. A player on a deal like this usually nets a protected first-round pick through trade. They’re a solid player on a fair deal, but few teams are going to send a lottery pick out.