The trade talk surrounding Lonzo Ball continues to heat up, with the Atlanta Hawks reportedly interested in acquiring the New Orleans Pelicans point guard.
Ball is one of the hottest trade candidates ahead of the March 25 deadline despite his good play for the Pels this season. In part, that can be attributed to his status as a restricted free agent this summer. New Orleans risks losing him for nothing if they don’t make a deal now, although a sign-and-trade deal in a few months remains a possibility.
However, the renewed league-wide interest in Ball should also be attributed to the improvements he has made as a player. Ball has consolidated himself as one of the best 3-and-D guards in the league and he is an easy fit on most teams—particularly those wanting to make deep playoff runs.
The Hawks’ proposed deal to trade for Ball is centered around former lottery pick Cameron Reddish. Atlanta selected Reddish with the tenth overall pick in 2019 out of Duke. Since then, he has played 84 games for the Hawks, averaging around 11 points per game on poor efficiency. As of now, Reddish is expected to be out for the next month or so with an Achilles injury.
Reddish makes sense as a potential centerpiece for a Ball trade, especially if we consider that New Orleans turned down an offer from the Chicago Bulls because they wanted either a decent young player or a first-round pick, per The Ringer‘s Kevin O’Connor.
The Hawks wing fits the former description and is an appealing gamble for the Pelicans. Reddish has considerable upside and is still on his rookie contract. Reddish will make around $4.5 million this season and the Pels have a team option later on to extend his deal if they so wish.
Here is what a trade for Reddish could look like and how he would fit on the New Orleans Pelicans.