Philadelphia 76ers: J.J. Redick should no longer be on the trade radar
When J.J. Redick declared a desire to finish out his NBA career in a red, white, and blue number 17 Philadelphia 76ers jersey, it felt genuine.
After bouncing around the league from the Orlando Magic, to the Milwaukee Bucks, and then the Los Angeles Clippers, Redick would seemingly catch on with a team for a few years, knock down an ungodly number of 3 point shots, and then move on to the next team and do it all again.
Now granted, this was an incredibly lucrative endeavor, as the then-33-year-old had earned well over $55.5 million in first 11 years in the league – enough money to buy every artisan beer bar on the East Coast – but after bouncing around like that N.E.R.D. song, Redick seemingly wanted to settle down.
Per the man himself, he loved the City of Brotherly Love. He loved its oeuvre, the style of play Brett Brown likes to run, and that the city is but a stone’s throw away from his home in Brooklyn. With the Nets and Knicks still rebuilding, Redick could play out the remainder of his basketball career on the East Coast, keep his young family situated in New York, and, oh yeah, play alongside two of the most exciting young post players in the league.
Redick bet that a surprisingly effective 2016-17 Sixers squad would take a step forward with full seasons from Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid and knew that there would be a plethora of shots available on the wings for a knockdown marksman.
In that regard, Redick was 100 percent correct.
Over his two-season siesta with the Sixers, Redick averaged a career-high 17.6 points in 30.8 minutes of action a night. Though Redick’s 3 point shooting percentage (40.7) fell below his career average of 41.4 percent – which in and of itself is pretty incredible – he was taking an incredible 7.8 shots per game, so that slight dip in efficiency is to be expected.
So naturally, when news broke that the New Orleans Pelicans were listening to trade offers for Redick and his fellow backcourtsman, Lonzo Ball, one would have to assume the Philadelphia 76ers would be one of the teams in the mix, right?
Whoa, whoa, whoa, not so fast, my friends.
J.J. Redick would be an expensive redundancy on the Philadelphia 76ers.
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From an interpersonal standpoint, there isn’t a better player in the NBA to add to the Philadelphia 76ers than J.J. Redick.
Not only did Redick turn in his two best seasons as a pro as part of an absolutely lethal two-man game with Joel Embiid, but he spent the four seasons prior under Doc Rivers as a member of the Lob City Clippers.
If spliced onto the Sixers roster right now, Redick would be the team’s second-best shooter behind Seth Curry and would likely play 24-plus minutes a game as a ‘sixth (marks)man’ coming off the bench.
With that being said, there’s very little reason the Sixers should actually consider pulling off such a trade, both from an asset allocation standpoint and in terms of fit.
You see, because Redick makes $13 million a year with the Pelicans, Daryl Morey would have to give up Mike Scott, and Terrance Ferguson, and Tony Bradley just to make the money work. And because none of those players are what you would consider a plus asset, the Sixers would likely also need to include a pick(s) – maybe even a first – for 30-40 games of action from Redick.
I guess the team could trade Danny Green – who has some value as a 3-and-D winger – but why would the Sixers sacrifice their starting small forward for a second shooting guard with a redundant set of skills with their current two guard minus the handles?
Sure, technically, the Sixers could play Tyrese Maxey at the one, Redick at the two, Tobias Harris up a spot at three, Ben Simmons at power forward, and Embiid in the paint – with Curry coming off the bench – but that’s a whole lot of moving parts and simply isn’t a realistic ask in the middle of a pandemic-shortened season.
No, the most realistic role for Redick would be as a bench shooter coming off the bench – a role the Sixers have pretty well taken care of.
If Redick comes in and starts playing, say, 24 minutes a night, who plays less? Shake Milton? No way. Maxey? I mean, yeah, that would surely provide the team with a bit more pop, but is it worth turning the electric young combo guard into a bench warmer? Heck, one could even make an argument that Matisse Thybulle is more indispensable in Rivers’ rotation because of his dynamic defensive talents than Redick’s one-way, the other way game.
Factor in that Redick’s addition wouldn’t address the team’s two biggest issues- backcourt shot creation and power forward depth – and the idea of Morey using his one big trade swing on yet another shooting guard – even a really good one – is a really crummy example of asset allocation.
Next. The Philadelphia 76ers are only as good as Joel Embiid. dark
Who knows, maybe J.J. Redick will follow through with his promise from years ago and sign with the Philadelphia 76ers when his current contract expires at the end of the season. In theory, it makes a ton of sense, as he does fit on the roster and could conceivably extend the prime of his career as a veteran part-time shooter paired up with Joel Embiid under the watchful eye of Doc Rivers. But surrendering serious assets for his services now, with bigger needs across the depth chart clearly evident? That, my friend, would be a serious mistake.