Former Dallas Mavericks sharpshooter interviews for Raptors head coach opening

The Dallas Mavericks made an ill-fated trade for one of the best shooters in NBA history in 2021. They were searching for upgrades at the deadline, and Dallas knew they would need floor spacers in the playoffs. It sparked them to send James Johnson, Wes Iwundu, and one second-round draft pick to New Orleans for J.J. Redick and Nicolo Melli. Redick’s a career 41.5 percent 3-point shooter that was still hungry to win his first championship ring, but things did not work out as planned in Dallas.

The 36-year-old was rehabbing a heel injury when the Mavs acquired him. He missed two weeks before finally suiting up in April. Redick played in just 13 games before he re-injured the heel and missed the remainder of the season, including their first-round playoff series loss to the LA Clippers. Melli played in 13 more games than Redick, including appearing in three of the seven postseason contests.

J.J. Redick retired after his brief stint with the Dallas Mavericks. He has continued his successful podcast and become an ESPN analyst, but the 38-year-old may be looking to jump into a very different role next season.

Former Dallas Mavericks wing J.J. Redick interviews for Raptors head coach opening

Adrian Wojnarowski reported the news on Wednesday afternoon. Redick is one of more than a dozen candidates meeting with the team for their first round of interviews after firing Nick Nurse per the ESPN scribe.

It was a bit of a surprise as Redick has no coaching experience, but fans can tell from his analysis that he understands the game. The 15-year NBA veteran would certainly be an outside-the-box hire, but he would not be the first former player to succeed in his first stint on the bench as a head coach. Coach Nurse was known for employing some surprising strategies, so could the team go with a similar thinking with their next hire?

Redick has been pursued for assistant coaching roles, including the Celtics. Will he make the jump to the bench?

Redick has a long way to go before earning the Raptors job, but the news was surprising. Will the former Dallas Mavericks wing and one of the best shooters in league history join the coaching ranks soon? Could the Mavs have interest in Redick for their open spot on the bench? There have been zero reports of that, but J.J. Redick becoming an NBA coach is something to watch moving forward.