Exploring whether the New Orleans Pelicans should trade JJ Redick during the offseason, as he may not fit into the team’s new timeline.
The New Orleans Pelicans‘ 2019-20 NBA season didn’t exactly play out to plan. In fact, I’m not sure if any team’s season did. But that’s neither here nor there. From the onset, the Pelicans’ season was thrown into a whirlwind ever since it was announced that Zion Williamson would miss a few months due to a knee injury.
However, by the time the season was called into hiatus, the Pelicans were beginning to round into shape. Things were beginning to look as many predicted it would for the team. Zion Williamson had made his return to the lineup and was dominated on the floor, averaging 24 points and seven rebounds per game on nearly 60 percent shooting from the field.
Brandon Ingram was having the breakout season that many hoped he would, averaging 24 points, six rebounds, and four assists per game. Heading into restricted free agency, it was important for the team to see Ingram put up the season he had before the hiatus.
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And we haven’t even touched on Jrue Holiday and the rookies that have shown promise during the 2019-20 season. In short, the Pelicans are in good hands moving forward. However, even with that said, the team has some big decisions to make this offseason.
While the biggest is and will continue to be what to do with Ingram, who will likely receive a max contract on the open market, the decision on that question might have already been answered internally.
As far as the rest of their roster is concerned, there are real questions that the team needs to answer in terms of how to surround their two talented young players, Zion and Ingram. There are two specific players on the Pelicans roster that the team needs to decide if they fit on their current timeline.
The first is Holiday, who at 29 years old is coming off a season in which he averaged 20 points, seven assists, and five rebounds per game. He’s one of the most underrated players in the NBA today and is also a player that could help a number of other contending teams in the league.
He found his name in the midst of trade rumors this season and that likely won’t change heading into the offseason. While he’s one name to keep an eye on when it comes to the team making changes this offseason, another player that the team could cash-in on is JJ Redick.
Even though Redick will be 36 by the time next season starts, he still has some left in the tank. And that was very evident this season as he shot 45 percent from 3-point range this season in New Orleans.
He proved to be an extremely valuable veteran in the locker room and on the floor, and you can’t help but wonder what he’d be able to do – and the impact he could have – on a team like the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, or even the Milwaukee Bucks or Boston Celtics.
Redick on a contending team is something that we could very well see during the 2020-21 season. It’s probably something that should happen too.
That’s a question that the New Orleans Pelicans will have to answer this offseason, though. JJ Redick does not fit with this team’s timeline and there’s no shame in admitting that. Redick deserves a chance to compete for a championship.