The Sixer Sense
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J.J. Redick’s contract wasn’t an overpay

By Christopher Kline

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 29: J.J. Redick #4 of the Los Angeles Clippers stretches before the game against the Washington Wizards on March 29, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 29: J.J. Redick #4 of the Los Angeles Clippers stretches before the game against the Washington Wizards on March 29, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia 76ers gave J.J. Redick a lot of money — and it was well worth it.

The vast majority of onlookers considered the Philadelphia 76ers‘ offseason a success. Not only did they move up to the top spot in the draft, but they added a pair of veteran talents in J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson — both of whom will help the team in different capacities.

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers /

Philadelphia 76ers

Some, however, have taken a different route in their critique of the Sixers’ moves this summer — namely, with their decision to pay J.J. Redick $23 million. ESPN’s Jeremias Engelmann dove into the best and worst contracts handed out this offseason, where he ventured to say that Redick’s was among the worst.

"“While his deal is for only one season, it seems the 76ers were bidding against themselves and probably could have signed him to two years at the same price” — ESPN Insider"

The sentiment behind that is understandable. But when you consider the context of Redick’s signing, it seems as if the price — while hefty — was needed to keep him in the fold. Redick himself said that the Houston Rockets had offered him more money, and despite the Sixers being his location of choice, they still needed to compete with whatever the market warranted.

The one-year portion of Redick’s deal only made it better. While a long term commitment at that price may have strapped the team financially down the road, nabbing Redick for a single year affords them ample cap space for next offseason — when Joel Embiid and Robert Covington may still be looking for extensions. There’s also a chance that a big pay day now can help ease Redick into smaller contracts down the road, allowing him to finish his career in Philadelphia while they focus their efforts towards retaining the young core they’ve put together.

Aside from the logistics of the deal, Redick’s impact is worth quite a bit as well — both on and off the court.

The Sixers’ need for shooting has been prevalent in conversations surrounding the team throughout Brett Brown’s tenure as head coach. As they rebuilt their rotation from the ground up, a lack of perimeter talent and a glut of skilled post men led to some of the worst spacing in the league. It capped the freedom prospects like Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor had offensively, while putting the team as a whole at a stark disadvantage when considering the trends of today’s league.

The NBA is dependent on versatility, and that boils down largely to offensive flexibility. How well teams are able to attack defenses from multiple different angles can determine their success, and Redick — while not ultra-versatile in a vacuum — helps the team accomplish that goal.

With talents like Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz stepping into distributive roles alongside Embiid in the post, the Sixers will have plenty of talent in regards to both scoring and creation. Brett Brown’s offense has always relied on motion, and those three have the potential to be the focal point of some extremely effective actions on the offensive side of the ball.

Redick’s benefit in those scenarios stems from the spacing he creates. He requires the undivided attention of his defender, leaving one less help option for the defense while prying open more driving lanes for ball handlers and more space in isolation for Joel on the low block.

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Simmons and Fultz will make the game easier for Redick, but he’ll likely help the younger kids just as much. He’ll give them a more free-flowing system to work in, all while increasing the level of execution for a young team that has struggled to execute Brett Brown’s system at the highest of levels in the past.

He has also been to the playoffs in every season since he came into the league back in 2006. That’s 11 years of playoff experience, which could be invaluable for a team headed by rookies and sophomores that seems to be trending in that direction.

Like Johnson, Redick can help show the youngsters the nuances of preparation and what their mindset and approach needs to be on a nightly basis. He also has a pretty useful skill in shooting — something he could help others on the roster improve.

Redick is currently the fifth highest paid shooting guard in the league, a gaudy price for a player who doesn’t fall in that echelon of talent. But the market is also shifting. Cap space is on the rise, and Redick’s value to Philadelphia goes well beyond the number on his check — or the stats that show up in the box score.

Next: What would a Kyrie Irving trade mean for the Sixers?

He’s a much-needed veteran presence whose one-year deal avoids any long term complications. It’s essentially a risk-free investment, and one the Sixers were smart to make it.