3 players the Cavs should target after Cam Reddish trade

Cam Reddish was a trade target that has been linked to the Cleveland Cavaliers since the beginning of the season, and realistically, since the past offseason. The 22-year-old would have given the team a much-needed scoring punch in wake of the Collin Sexton injury.

Unfortunately, the Atlanta Hawks traded Reddish, in addition to Solomon Hill and a second-round pick, to the New York Knicks in exchange for Kevin Knox and a protected first-round pick, per a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Considering the potential that many think Reddish has, the trade package to acquire him was relatively small. The Hawks did receive a project player with potential in Kevin Knox, but I was expecting more in return for such a gifted player.

While the Cavs might have missed out on a promising, young wing, there are still plenty of trade targets that could help fill the scoring void in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers can start to compete in the Eastern Conference Playoffs as soon as this season. If they want to make some real noise and go after the powerhouses in the East, then they need to do anything they can to make their offense better.

Here are three players the Cavs should target after missing out on Cam Reddish.

3 players the Cavs should target following Reddish trade – #1: Buddy Hield

Buddy Hield would be the perfect addition to a Cavaliers team that has struggled on the offensive side of the court.

The Cavs currently rank 21st in the NBA in points per game. If Buddy Hield can do anything, it’s score the basketball. Over the last four seasons, Hield is averaging 18.3 points per game in 32 minutes.

While he has a soft touch around the rim and has the skills to score in the mid-range, he does most of his damage from the three-point line. In fact, he’s actually been one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA over the last few years.

Among the top 15 players in three-point attempts this season, Hield ranks fifth in three-point efficiency at 38 percent from deep, per NBA.com. The Oklahoma product also ranks second in three-point makes, as he has since 2019-20 season.

Hield has also shown that he can serve up big performances in big games. In early October, Buddy Hield led the Kings to a big road victory over the #1 seed Phoenix Suns with 26 points and 7 threes in just 27 minutes off the bench.

Big-game capability is of the upmost importance when it comes to the Playoffs, and the Cavs should have the mindset of a serious postseason team.

What makes Hield even more valuable is that he almost never misses games. What’s the old saying? The best ability is availability? Well Buddy Hield should be the poster child of that saying. Hield has missed 3 total games of the possible 434 games in his 7-year career while averaging 28.9 minutes per game. The guy can stay on the court, shoot efficiently from the three-point line at a high clip and produce in big games that the Cavaliers are sure to participate in come the postseason. Sign me up.

The aforementioned Wojnarowski reported in July that the Lakers were nearing a trade for Buddy Hield that would have sent Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell to the Kings. The trade eventually fell through once the Lakers were able to acquire Russell Westbrook.

Considering the Kings are going through yet another losing season, I wouldn’t be surprised if they go into full-on rebuild mode and trade their vets. One can only assume that Buddy Hield would be one of those vets.

The Cavs should pounce on a trade for the 29-year-old Hield if the price is right. His skills would be the perfect complement to the playmaking abilities of Darius Garland and Rajon Rondo, among others.

For a team that sits in the middle of the pack when it comes to three-point makes and efficiency, trading for a player like Buddy Hield would pay dividends.