J.J. Redick reportedly won’t re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, which means the 33-year-old shooting guard will be looking for a new team when free agency starts on July 1.
Redick has made 200 or more 3-pointers in each of the last three seasons, and is among the top shooters available on the free-agent market. There’s no question teams will be interested in Redick, but here are five potential landing spots that make the most sense.
Brooklyn Nets
After trading away their two best shooters from deep in Brook Lopez and Bojan Bogdanovic, the Nets could use a long-range shooter of Redick’s caliber, and he’d be playing close to home. Redick purchased a $4.2 million penthouse in Brooklyn last summer, and has been working out with Nets point guard Jeremy Lin, according to the New York Post. It’s also worth mentioning that the Nets have an abundance of cap space this summer, which would allow them to meet Redick’s asking price of $18-$20 million annually.
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are no doubt talented, but they lack quality veterans on their roster and reliable 3-point shooting. Make no mistake about it, Redick would not be competing for a championship in the foreseeable future with Philadelphia’s young squad, but he’d have more leeway to let it fly from behind the arc for a team that ranked 25th in 3-point field-goal percentage last season. The addition of No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz should help the cause, but Redick could drastically improve Philly’s production from the perimeter.
San Antonio Spurs
If it’s a championship Redick is after, then San Antonio could be a possibility. The Spurs make it a habit of contending for a championship year after year, and Redick would fit right in with the NBA’s best 3-point shooting team from a year ago. The downside to signing with San Antonio, though, is Redick will almost certainly have to lower his asking price, and there’s a chance he might not get the same amount of playing time as he did with the Clippers. But after losing in the first round of the playoffs the past two seasons, Redick could easily be lured by the idea of going deep in the postseason for once.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans have two of the most dominant big men in the game manning the frontcourt in Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, but they lack shooters to complement such a strong inside presence. Who better to help them space the floor than Redick? Ideally, New Orleans would prefer Jrue Holiday fill that role, but if he leaves in free agency this summer, Redick might be the team’s next best option.
New York Knicks
The Knicks are also looking for shooting this summer, along with a new team president after parting ways with Phil Jackson. Now that the team is slated to be under new direction, the Knicks won’t be limited to going after free agents that fit Jackson’s system. Assuming the Knicks keep Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, Redick would fit in nicely as the third option behind those two.
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