JJ Redick was a vital part of the Philadelphia 76ers in his time here, but is a reunion meant to be? Or is it an idea the team should avoid?
The sharpshooting veteran was paid a handsome amount of money to give the Sixers organization the first look at the benefits of what a bonafide floor-spacing guard could do alongside their young nucleus.
JJ exceeded expectations in his time here- posting career-high scoring numbers and coming second on the team in points per game. In his 2 years here, Redick averaged 17.6 points per game and shot 40.7% from deep.
He is also well on record for being one of Joel Embiid’s favorite teammates. The duo operated the dribble-handoff just about as well as has ever been seen.
Redick has had a down year so far with the Pelicans and has seen his time cut in by guys like Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and even Eric Bledsoe. With his role shrinking and a dip in production occurring, rumors have begun to swirl that the Pelicans are interested in moving the 36-year-old.
Even more interesting is the Sixers have been linked to a Redick return. But does a JJ Redick reunion make as much sense as it seems?
Who to Trade?
The first thing to keep in mind here is making the money work so a trade could go through. Redick is currently on an expiring deal that is valued at $13.1 million this season.
He is averaging 7.9 points per game and shooting just 29.8% from three, so his value is likely lower than it has ever been. In fact, if this conversation was happening a year ago, Redick would be the clear-cut priority for the Sixers to attain.
The clearest matchup in salary falls on Danny Green‘s shoulders, but a one-for-one swap of the two aging shooting guards doesn’t seem to make much sense for either side.
Green is also a significantly better defender than Redick. It is no coincidence that he is coming off back-to-back championships with two different teams.
Danny Green is also aging and has lost a step, but he is in no way a player the Sixers should be rushing to dish out.
A trade that would likely be more appealing to the Pelicans would be some collection of young bench players but juggling the money is not straightforward.
This would likely look like a guy like Matisse Thybulle, attached to his pal Mike Scott’s contracts along with Terrance Ferguson that could possibly get a deal done.
While the Sixers still have some assets to work with, they need to be extremely selective in how they use these assets as they likely are only able to make one or two moves.
It also is extremely possible that the Sixers could be outbid by a team like the Celtics. The latter have more flexible (and possibly more appealing) trade pieces.
The Sixers still hold the $8.2 million trade exception that they picked up in the Al Horford trade, which is most likely their best trade asset as the deadline approaches. It seems more likely that Daryl Morey will shift his mindset to use this as an asset as it expires after this season.
Philadelphia 76ers Needs
Once Redick moved on to the Pelicans after the 2018-19 season, the Sixers were left with a desperate need for shooting. This void was extremely noticeable throughout last season and the clear priority heading into the offseason.
However, at this point and time, that need has been addressed. Seth Curry and Danny Green are the most notable acquisitions in this category. Both play a similar role and position to what Redick would bring to the team.
Given the lack of potential trade pieces that Daryl Morey has to work with, the team must prioritize what is most important to add. While you can never have enough shooting, adding a potential stretch big man should be looked at as the biggest need for the team.
The team could also use an additional shot-creating wing in the second unit which should also be ranked as a bigger need than the pure shooting that Redick brings to the table.
Never count out Daryl Morey, and if a small deal is able to occur in which JJ can be brought back to Philly it would undoubtedly benefit the team. However, simply adding Redick to the current roster is not the difference between winning a championship or falling short.
If the price is right the Philadelphia 76ers should not hesitate to pull the trigger but given the competitive trade market and the team’s other needs, a reunion with JJ Redick may not be as smart of a move as it may seem on the surface.
