Suns showed interest in 76ers SG J.J. Redick during free agency
Sep 14, 2018, 11:00 AM | Updated: 3:22 pm
Philadelphia 76ers' JJ Redick in action during Game 4 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, Monday, May 7, 2018, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Phoenix Suns wanted to add more veteran leadership — and shooting — after they began the NBA free agency period by dialing up then-Houston Rockets forward Trevor Ariza.
Joining The Lowe Post podcast on ESPN, Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard J.J. Redick told host Zach Lowe that the Suns contacted him shortly after lining up a deal to ink Ariza.
“Phoenix was the one team that said, like, ‘We can make something happen straight away,'” Redick said.
“It would’ve been through a trade, obviously,” he added, noting that by the Suns already agreeing to add Ariza had effectively used all their cap space.
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The talks with Phoenix didn’t appear to go in depth for Redick, who on Lowe’s podcast suggested he wanted to play on a winning team.
The Suns, after all, would have needed to work out a deal to open up cap space, something they eventually did nearly three weeks later by trading Jared Dudley’s eight-figure contract to the Brooklyn Nets for Darrell Arthur, who they are expected to release.
Redick, meanwhile, knew the market wasn’t favorable for players. He made a quick decision, agreeing by the second day of the free agency moratorium to re-join Philadelphia.
Redick said he was most intrigued in free agency by a push from the Indiana Pacers, who put together a surprising run to the playoffs last season behind the emergence of Victor Oladipo. But after consideration, Redick decided to sign a deal to stay with the Sixers on a one-year deal worth between $12-$13 million.
