Should The Orlando Magic Trade J.J. Redick?


Tom Szczerbowski- USA TODAY Sports

J.J. Redick has been surrounded by trade rumors since 2008 and why not? He is a player that can only better your team especially since he has improved in every aspect of his game since he joined the league.

Redick is part of the four-man core of himself, Glen Davis, Jameer Nelson, and Aaron Afflalo and with a core group of players like that it is hard to understand exactly why they were on a 10 game losing streak. Redick has developed from just a sharpshooting expert to an all around player, he is averaging 14 points and almost five assists per game while improving his defense every chance he gets.

So with all of this in mind, should the Orlando Magic trade him? Despite the organization saying they have no intent to trade him, there are several teams that are interested, and Orlando hasn’t shied away from considering their options.

The team most interested in Redick is the Minnesota TimberwolvesAnd why not? With Brandon Roy and Malcolm Lee injured and under-producing, they could use a solid player like Redick. He would not only give them consistency at the two position, but he would also help Minnesota get back what they lost when Kevin Love went down. Minnesota is the third worst team in the league when it comes to three-pointers made and Redick could easily solve that problem. Minnesota is looking to offer up Derrick Williams but Orlando wants more than that. Don’t be surprised if they throw in either Greg Stiemsma, Alexey Shved or any one of the multiple point guards they have to seal the deal.

Orlando is looking for one player to add to their roster - Rudy Gay. They have made it clear that he is the number-one player they are seeking, and offering Redick to the Memphis Grizzlies may not be a bad offer. No, the trade is not what you would call “equal,” and Memphis hasn’t expressed desire to obtain Redick, but if Orlando is serious about Gay wearing pinstripes they may have to offer Redick and someone else as well. Don’t be surprised if Al Harrington was thrown into the mix. Both players would suit Memphis’ style of traditional play and because Memphis is the second-worst team in the league in terms of three-pointers made, Redick would once again be able to fix that. Gay would suit Orlando’s need to a scorer who can create his own shots and wouldn’t need to rely on Nelson to set him up for shots.

The last option for Orlando is the Boston CelticsNews broke this weak that backup point guard Leandro Barbosa demanded to be traded. The trade isn’t particularly smart for Orlando, seeing as they have a very talented guard already, but Boston would prosper with another scoring option in an otherwise stale offense. Barbosa’s trade restriction ends today, so he may be on the move sooner than expected.

The last option was one I was secretly hoping for weeks back, and that would be a trade with the Chicago BullsChicago needs a talented and proven scorer, and Redick is the player who could easily fill that need. Richard Hamilton, Marco Belinelli and Daequan Cook are all great shooters but they all have their downsides as well. Redick is all the good with none of the bad, and his skills would mix well with Chicago’s style of play. It’s a little late now for the Bulls to trade for another shooter and Orlando doesn’t really need any of the things that Chicago would offer, but it’s nice to dream a little.

Orlando has options and despite their public hearings saying they will hold onto Redick there may come a trade offer that they just cannot refuse. Redick is a building block for any team, the type of player that you can build a contending team around and wherever he lands -if anywhere at all- will immediately get better upon his arrival.

Check Out the Top NBA Players of All Time
Does Your NBA Team Have a Problem? - Check Out What We Think
Who is the Best Athlete From Each State?

We Recommend

Rant NBA

Around the Web