The NBA offseason is all but complete as training camps will open at the end of the month, as most franchises have set their rosters for the preseason. Despite that being the case, one former lottery pick who's spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers was never picked up by an NBA franchise. Now, he's heading overseas.
Former Lakers wing Cam Reddish is reportedly set to sign with Lithuanian club team BC Šiauliai, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. This marks the first time in the 26-year-old's career that he will have to accept employment outside of the NBA after being drafted 10th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2019.
Ex-Laker Cam Reddish Heads Overseas After Polarizing Tenure in L.A.
After appearing in 254 career games (116 starts), Reddish owns averages of 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 23.1 minutes per contest. Those numbers clearly weren't impressive enough to land him a job in the NBA for this coming season, forcing the one-time blue-chip recruit to rebuild his brand in Lithuania.
Per Urbonas, Reddish's deal with the Lithuanian club team will include an exit clause for the 2025-26 season. This would allow the veteran to leave the club and return to North America if an NBA team were to come calling. After seeing other players use stints overseas to improve their stock as a free agent, Reddish is making the move now in hopes that he follows in the footsteps of Kevin Porter Jr., who parlayed a strong run in Greece into an $11 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Reddish saw his time with the Purple and Gold end on two separate occasions this past season. First, he was included in the trade package agreed upon by the Charlotte Hornets that would have sent Mark Williams back to Los Angeles. The trade was ultimately rescinded due to issues with the medical examination Williams underwent.
This brought Reddish back to a team that had already made it clear his services were no longer needed. That fact was reinforced by JJ Redick having all but removed the forward from the rotation upon his return. From the moment Reddish was initially traded to Charlotte, to the Purple and Gold waiving him on March 27, the former Duke Blue Devils standout appeared in just two games.
Despite the fanfare that surrounded him upon entering the league, Reddish must now fight for his spot on an NBA roster by showing what he can do on the international stage. The opportunity to do just that is there for him. Now, Reddish must go out and get the job done.