New Orleans is poised to be one of the few sellers at the trade deadline, with multiple reports Eric Bledsoe and J.J. Redick are on the market.
Redick is the kind of veteran shooter that traditionally draws interest at the deadline, and a couple of teams looking to improve their playoff standing — Dallas and Denver — have at least expressed some interest, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer said recently on The MisMatch podcast with Chris Vernon (hat tip Sportando).
Redick would prefer to be traded to somewhere closer to his home in the Northeast of the country, and league sources said the Pelicans would like to make that happen, but it’s not always easy to make that wish list happen.
At age 36, Redick’s game has taken a step back this season, but he is still shooting 37% from three and there is a feeling from some teams that if he is put in the right situation he could thrive again — he had 17 points and hit 3-of-4 from deep, flashing his potential in the New Orleans win against Utah this week. The bigger concern is he has seemed a step slower on the defensive end.
Redick is also making $13 million this season in the final year of his contract, making him a little tougher to move because salaries have to be matched and teams will not give up a lot for a potential half-season rental.
That said, Dallas misses the shooting and floor spacing that Seth Curry used to provide, and Redick could fill some of that role. Denver can’t have too many shooters around Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Both would be solid fits.
Expect the Redick rumors to ramp up as we get closer to the trade deadline. There’s a good chance he will be on the move.