Why The New York Knicks Do The Deal 

Frankly (no pun intended), it doesn’t really matter if Cam Reddish has a strong or weak work ethic from the Knicks’ point of view. In 2021-22, it was painfully obvious that they didn’t believe in him. 

The Knicks acquired Reddish at the price of a protected first-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks at the deadline. Seemingly from the moment he arrived in New York, his minutes started to decline. It felt as if something wasn’t clicking between Reddish and Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. 

By contrast, Thibs gave Ntilkina a fair shake when he was his coach a couple of short years ago. He’ll never be a superstar, but he’s a great point-of-attack defender with a solid feel for the game. Perhaps most importantly, he tries – Ntilkina is a magnet for loose balls, dives, and deflections. 

For that matter, so is Green. In all reality, this is what this deal is about – flipping a player the Knicks don’t appear intent on using for two players they will.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Cam Reddish, New York Knicks & Dallas Mavericks Updates

Ntilkina and Green both fit into the type of defense-first, hard-work culture we know Thibodeau aims to cultivate. 

What is the deal about for the Mavericks?