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Free agency officially began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday morning, and former Los Angeles Clippers’ guard J.J. Redick opted to make the Philadelphia 76ers the first team he visited with as an unrestricted free agent.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the news:
Free agent JJ Redick is meeting with the 76ers, league sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/pRKukjMkON
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2017
Wojnarowski joined ESPN’s NBA Free Agency special to elaborate on his report about Redick, and to confirm that he will not be returning to Los Angeles.
J.J. Redick won't return to the #Clippers. Sixers want to do a 1-year, $20 million deal but Redick wants a long-term contract
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) July 1, 2017
(per @wojespn) pic.twitter.com/8Ib1W4cl9N
“J.J. Redick, he will not return to the Clippers,” Wojnarowski said. “Right now...he’s meeting with the Philadelphia 76ers tonight. Minnesota has been really aggressive in pursuing him; Brooklyn, also. Philadelphia ideally would like to do a one-year deal at a very big number — $20 million-plus — potentially on a one-year deal, sources tell me. But he’d like a longterm contract.”
We discussed on Friday how unlikely the signing of Redick looked after Zach Lowe’s report emerged about the Sixers only looking to offer one-year contracts:
As Lowe mentions, the Sixers’ offseason plans likely don’t jive with what Los Angeles Clippers’ shooting guard J.J. Redick is looking for. The Sixers could try to offer him a deal similar to the one-year, $25 million contract they offered Jamal Crawford last summer, but at 33, Redick’s going to be looking for stability. There’s no saying another team won’t be willing to offer him a deal in the three-year, $60 million ballpark as well. The possibility of a partnership looks bleak at this point.
General manager Bryan Colangelo clearly values Redick, but has no interest in diverting from his longterm plan to do it. This summer is likely the last chance Redick will have to sign a big money, multi-year contract, so having him settle for a one-year deal just doesn’t seem feasible.
Even without Redick, the Sixers’ two guard play will still be upgraded. Add in Markelle Fultz’s perimeter shooting, (and his ability to set up others when he’s playing on ball), as well as newly signed 2016 first-round pick Furkan Korkmaz, Philadelphia should be improved even without Redick.