Philadelphia 76ers: How much of a pay cut will J.J. Redick take?

If J.J. Redick wants to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, he’ll almost certainly need to take a pay cut.

Even though the Philadelphia 76ers‘ season ended in disappointing fashion, J.J. Redick spent his exit interview emphasizing his desire to return in 2018-19. He said this was the “favorite season of [his] career“, citing the excitement of playing in a real sports town.

In a vacuum, re-signing Redick seems like a no-brainer for the Sixers. The 33-year-old quietly put together the best season of his career, averaging 17.1 points per game and shooting 42 percent from three-point range. He was the Sixers’ second-leading scorer behind Joel Embiid.

When it comes to numbers, though, retaining Redick might be difficult. They have plenty of cap space, but there’s a good chance that they attempt to use that cap space on a big-name free agent. LeBron James and Paul George have already been cited as potential targets.

More from Sixers News

If James decides to join the Sixers on a $35+ million contract, giving Redick a contract that matches his value would be virtually impossible. Redick won’t get $23 million like he received last summer, but he’s not a veteran minimim player either. Teams will be more than willing to shell out cash for a high-end shooter of his ilk.

To up the stakes even further, the free agency timeline could force Redick’s hand. If the Sixers have to wait on a commitment from James or George, Redick might need to make a contract decision before that plays out. As Danny Leroux of The Athletic pointed out, teams who offer Redick a contract might not be willing to wait on LeBron or George’s decision.

That essentially means the Sixers need to enter the offseason with a solid game plan while maintaining communication with Redick. It also means Redick needs to go into the offseason with a concrete idea of what he’s willing to accept from the Sixers.

Assuming his comments about the season were genuine, it’s reasonable to expect Redick to take a pay cut. His family lives in Brooklyn and he emphasized staying close to home in the summer of 2017, which is part of the reason he chose Philly over Houston.

How much of a pay cut, however, is still up in the air. The market is much tighter this offseason than it has been in years past, which might affect Redick’s market value. He’s also 33, meaning he’s probably going into the final stage of his career.

Kyle Korver took a three-year, $22 million contract last summer to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a competitive team. Redick is both younger and more impactful than Korver, but their roles are somewhat similar. If the Sixers sign a noteworthy free agent, Redick might need to settle for a bench role as well.

The Sixers are projected as legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference for the foreseeable future. Redick would get to stay close to home, play for a team he enjoys playing for and compete for a spot in the Finals. If the Sixers have the money to offer him a reasonable contract — along the lines of $10 million per year, if not slightly less — the odds of him returning seem high.

With all of that said, there are several factors at play here. If the Sixers sign LeBron, Redick might be willing to take an ever larger pay cut to ensure his spot on the Eastern Conference favorites. He might not be able to wait that long in free agency, though, as we mentioned earlier.

If his goal is a stable financial situation, he might get more money (and more years) on another team. It’s a complex, nuanced decision, and we don’t know where Redick’s thoughts stand on the issue.

We’ll probably get a better feel for things once July creeps closer.