After players who signed new contracts in the 2019 NBA free agency became eligible to be traded, rumors started to swirl around veteran shooting guard JJ Redick and his future with the New Orleans Pelicans . Redick may not have shown any sign that he’s no longer happy with the Pelicans but in order to keep his playoff streak alive, he would definitely be better off being traded to a legitimate playoff contender before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. One of the NBA teams who could express an interest in acquiring Redick is the Dallas Mavericks .
In his recent article, Mandela Namaste of Bleacher Report suggested several trade ideas for the league’s most desperate buyers. For the Mavericks, Namaste believes that they could give Luka Doncic another great mentor by trading for Redick.
“Let’s move Redick to the Mavericks, where he could be a superb off-ball weapon and mentor for Luka Doncic. Redick is the classic kind of veteran who bridges the gap between mere playoff berths and serious contention, and while Dallas is not yet elite, his leadership could position the Mavs for deep playoff runs.”
Though he won’t make the Mavericks an instant title contender, the potential arrival of Redick in Dallas would make them a more dangerous team in the Western Conference. Redick would give the Mavericks a positive locker room presence and a veteran shooting guard with plenty of playoff experience. With his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity, Redick won’t have a hard time building chemistry with Mavericks rising stars Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
In the proposed trade deal by Bleacher Report , the Mavericks would be sending a trade package including Maxi Kleber, JJ Barea, Boban Marjanovic, and a future second-round pick to the Pelicans in exchange for Redick. Though the deal would work financially, both NBA teams would still be needing to wait to make the trade since Kleber can’t be moved until mid-January. However, if the trade becomes a reality, it would not only be beneficial for the Mavericks but also for the Pelicans.
As Namaste noted, the potential deal would allow the Pelicans to add a “competent big man” in Kleber, “two excellent locker room guys” in Barea and Marjanovic, and a future second-round pick that they could use to add another young and promising talent on their roster. Also, trading Redick would enable the Pelicans to give more playing time to their young guards like Lonzo Ball, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Josh Hart, and Frank Jackson.
