J.J. Redick
2019-20 Salary: $13.4 million
This one may be the option that excites me the most, and is one that The Athletic’s Tony Jones brought up in a recent podcast and article (paid subscription required). J.J. Redick has long been renowned as an incredible sharpshooter, and placing him in Utah’s second unit backcourt could help provide them with the shooting, scoring punch and basketball IQ they desperately need.
Redick is also a respectable defender who makes up for what he lacks in size and athleticism with hustle, smarts and effort. He’s an experienced player that could help this team significantly in the postseason as well. The addition of Redick would provide the Jazz with another dead-eye shooter who’s shooting 45.7 percent from the perimeter and would give their bench far more flexibility in the backcourt than they have currently with an out-of-the-rotation Exum.
Why the Pelicans MIGHT do it:
It appears that after the lengthy absence of Zion Williamson and the horrendous start for the New Orleans Pelicans, they’re open to calling the season lost and preparing for the future. Several reports have indicated that Jrue Holiday is officially on the trade block, and while the team has expressed hesitancy in moving Redick, I’d have to believe they’d be open to it if it advances their long-term goals.
This Pelicans team will be hungry to acquire assets to compliment their young team and build around Zion once he makes his return. If they opt to move on from Redick and utilize Exum to bolster their putrid defense (28th in the NBA), a deal with Utah could very well make sense.
The two teams did business this offseason when Utah essentially gifted Derrick Favors to them, so ideally the two could link up again to find a mutually beneficial move that would help Utah land Redick and the Pelicans work towards their long-term goals.
It would likely be quite difficult to pull off, but it’s certainly worth a phone call from the Jazz.