Dallas Mavericks: Would signing J.J. Redick be a win now move?
By Austin Speck
The Dallas Mavericks struggled from three-point land in the 2018-19 season. J.J. Redick could definitely help the Mavs increase their 27th ranked three-point percentage in the upcoming season.
The Dallas Mavericks ranked fourth in the league in three-point attempts in the 2018-19 season. Unfortunately, they also were among the worst in the NBA in three-point makes. There is a particular free agent that could provide improvement in that area of basketball.
Guard, J.J. Redick, has been around the block a few times with a few teams. Drafted by the Orlando Magic 11th overall in the 2006 NBA draft, the former Duke Blue Devil was known for his deep shot and his pestering play style.
Redick is a very intelligent basketball player and could easily be the first off the bench or instantly plugged into the starting shooting guard position for Dallas. Over his NBA career, Redick has made an average of 41 percent of his three-point shooting attempts and 48 percent of his two-pointers.
Redick is an expert catch-and-shoot player that has a wonderful stroke and knows where to be on the court and perimeter at the right time. He is entering his 14th NBA season and is an unrestricted free agent this summer. He was a key player in two playoff runs during his time with Philadelphia.
The veteran has plenty of playoff experience and even an appearance in the 2009 NBA finals against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Prior to the 76ers, Redick played four seasons for the Los Angeles Clippers and started 265 out of the 266 regular season games.
His finals and playoff experience would be key for the locker room in Dallas in 2019. The former Blue Devil has made the playoffs every season of his career. He played a total of 110 games, starting 70 of them.
Dallas currently only has one player over the age of 30 on their roster. That would be Courtney Lee, who more than likely will be waived or traded within the next month. That leaves the Mavericks with an average age of 24.4 years old.
Veteran leadership is priceless in professional sports, especially with a younger player like Kristaps Porzingis, who has had issues in the past with the New York Knicks front office. Veterans can boost overall team morale and keep attitudes in check. That’s a part of leadership. The ability to keep teammates in line with the overall goal.
What a Contract Could Look Like for Redick
The Mavericks main target this offseason is reportedly Kemba Walker. If the Mavericks strike out on the Kemba race and the rumors to Boston are true, then Dallas could split up the max cap space they have and go after mid-tier free agents. This would include J.J. Redick on a potential one to two-year deal. Patrick Beverley and Redick would be an excellent duo of backcourt insurance in the Mavericks rotation.
With Redick still a productive player even at age 36, a contract with a starting salary in the teens would be realistic. The Mavs could offer Redick a one year $10 to 15 million deal for the 2019-20 season and possibly a team option or player option for the 2020-21 season. Redick’s game has and will continue to age well and will be valuable for a potential Dallas Mavericks playoff run this coming season.
With a contract in the number mentioned, the Mavs would still have room left over to make a run at Pat Beverley, plus a possibility to bring back Dorian Finney-Smith and Maxi Kleber as they have their bird rights.
Whatever Donnie Nelson and Mark Cuban decide to do, the Mavs have a ton of flexibility this summer to either go after one big fish or split the cap to bring in multiple glue guys and role players to round out the roster. We will see what the Mavericks do starting on June 30th when the free agency moratorium period begins for negotiations and agreements.