Arguably one of the NBA’s best sharpshooters, JJ Redick has made his case for why he belongs in the NBA, even at 36 years old. Despite his years of above-average shooting percentage, though, the vet has seen a sharp decline in field goal percentage during the 2020-2021 season.
After a year coming off of the bench and posting solid numbers, Redick looked to replicate that success with a new-and-improved team. From the hiring of new head coach Stan Van Gundy to adding rebounding machine Steven Adams, the New Orleans Pelicans hoped to find a way to break through and make it into the playoffs after a heartbreaking exit in the bubble last season.
Unfortunately for the team, the All-Star break has arrived signaling the halfway mark of the regular season, and the Pelicans find themselves with a losing record. There has been shaky play from a few members of the team, but none have been struggling as consistently as JJ Redick. The veteran guard has only posted double digit points 12 times this season. In fact, Redick has been averaging a measly 8.7 points per game in an average 18.6 minutes per game, per ESPN.
Redick’s inconsistency has cost the team more than its fair share of games, and ultimately it has been a major contributor in some of the losses the team has taken this season. With this being said, however, he still has the ability to drain shots with regularity if he is taking confident shots off of good looks. JJ could provide a key piece off of the bench for a team that is one or two pieces away from becoming a contender.
For the Pelicans, sending JJ Redick to a team looking to add depth could free up some much needed cap space to resign small forward Josh Hart and point guard Lonzo Ball this offseason, both of whom have been having exceptional seasons. It could also allow New Orleans to add a defensive-minded guard who has the ability to score when needed, a missing puzzle piece for them this year. Packaging three severely underperforming players in JJ Redick, Nicolo Melli, and Eric Bledsoe could offer more incentives for a team looking to enter more of a rebuild around a few key players.
With the trade deadline looming, the Pelicans would need to make a move before March 25th to be in compliance with the NBA trade policy. General Manager David Griffin needs to start making calls, and he needs to start making them now. If the Pelicans want to avoid another disappointing season, the time is now to turn things around.
