New Orleans Pelicans are unlikely to trade J.J. Redick
The New Orleans Pelicans are one of the few teams in the Western Conference that could be considered a rebuilding team while also being a team that could be a playoff threat in 2021. It really depended on which way they elected to go with their coaching hire and the steps that would take place after that.
Well, now that Stan Van Gundy has been named the team’s next head coach, it’ll be interesting to see what those next steps are. There are already whispers that the team could move a few of their veteran players, most notably Jrue Holiday and/or J.J. Redick.
As the noise gets louder and louder regarding a potential trade of Holiday, there are already rumblings that the Pelicans will not trade Redick.
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According to a report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Redick was one of the key reasons why Van Gundy was hired. Windhorst would go on to say that Redick could be Van Gundy’s “right-hand man” in New Orleans.
Even at age 36, Redick would hold value on the open market. He holds value for a young team that is looking to make the jump to playoff contention in the Western Conference. Even in a limited role for the Pelicans, in which he averaged under 30 minutes per game, Redick is coming off a season in which he averaged 15 points and three rebounds on 45 percent shooting from the field and 45 percent shooting from 3-point range.
He’s the type of player that every playoff contender needs on the roster and as long as he can be an effective 3-point shooter, he’ll have value in today’s NBA. It would make sense for Van Gundy to want to retain him and utilize him as the valued veteran that he is.
Redick’s history with Van Gundy in Orlando isn’t going to hurt either. Redick could help with the team’s transition and learning the system.
If this report is indeed true and that Van Gundy is unlikely to move Redick, you’d have to wonder what that could mean for a player like Jrue Holiday. Would the Pelicans keep the roster as is, re-sign Brandon Ingram, and see how far Stan Van Gundy can elevate this team heading into next season?
The New Orleans Pelicans will be a team to monitor heading into the offseason. The hiring of Stan Van Gundy certainly throws a wrench in the perception that the Pelicans will be selling off its veterans.