In a surprising move, Los Angeles Lakers small forward Cam Reddish has opted into his player option for the 2024-25 NBA season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The deal secures him a veteran’s minimum salary of $2.5 million. This decision by the 6-foot-8 Duke product suggests he didn’t believe there was a strong market for his services in a longer-term or more lucrative deal for next season.
In his first season with Los Angeles, Reddish was thrust into the starting lineup early on, as former head coach Darvin Ham adjusted rotations to enhance perimeter defense. Unfortunately, Reddish had one of his worst seasons yet with the Lakers. The 24-year-old posted career-low averages of 5.4 points per game while shooting a lackluster .389/.336/.759. He also contributed 2.1 rebounds, one assist, and one steal per game, playing in only 48 games with 26 starts.
Reddish’s decision to stay means that if free agent LeBron James re-signs (and considering that the Lakers have signed James’ son Bronny and are coached by James’ friend and podcast co-host J.J. Redick, it’s likely that the 39-year-old will return in the fall), the Lakers will have 14 players on their 15-man roster for next season, as noted by Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Buha also points out that three other Lakers from the 2023-24 season are free agents this summer: point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, forward Taurean Prince, and restricted free agent shooting guard Max Christie, who is likely to remain on L.A.’s radar.
The question remains whether Reddish or Jaxson Hayes, who also opted into his minimum deal despite a challenging first year in Los Angeles, will stay. Alternatively, Rob Pelinka might have to make some moves to offload their salaries. This writer believes the latter is more probable, though he has no insider information.
More Lakers news: Rob Pelinka discusses why the team drafted Bronny James.
