J.J. Redick may be having one of his worst seasons as a professional, but the veteran sharpshooter is still attracting interest among contenders. The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly open to trading Redick, but according to the New York Post’s Marc Berman, he has a preference in destination: New York. Redick’s family lives in Brooklyn, so according to Berman’s sources, he would prefer to land with either the Knicks or Nets.
The Knicks have enough cap space to absorb Redick’s contract in a trade without sending any money out themselves. The Nets have a somewhat more complicated situation to sift through. Most of their salary is devoted to players that play. The one exception is the injured Spencer Dinwiddie. The Nets might be open to dealing him, but defense and rebounding would likely be a higher priority than more shooting.
If the Pelicans are unable to deal Redick, a buyout would also be a possibility for getting Redick to New York. The Nets would have another advantage on that front, as they have both their mid-level exception and a disabled player exception granted after Dinwiddie’s injury to spend on the buyout market.
There is also the possibility that the Pelicans choose to keep Redick, though, and that is an option that has grown likelier in recent days. The Pelicans have won six of their past nine games and are currently tied with the Dallas Mavericks for the final Western Conference play-in spot. If New Orleans believes it has a genuine chance to make it into the postseason, it would likely prefer to keep Redick, who is shooting over 64 percent on 3-pointers since returning to the rotation five games ago.
Redick, now 36, had made the playoffs every year of his career prior to last season, but has never won a championship. Reuniting with his family in Brooklyn would seemingly give him a chance at doing so. That makes the Nets one of the likeliest possible destinations for Redick, but the Pelicans don’t need to rush this decision. As long as they are in the hunt, they can afford to be patient with their best shooter.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
