As the dust settles on another free agency/trade market, there are two names conspicuously absent from rosters: J.J. Redick and Paul Millsap.
Redick’s absence is understandable, as he was vocally disappointed with how he was treated by the Pelicans, who traded him mid-season to the Mavericks in the midst of Redick’s least product year since the 2008/09 season. Redick has been clear on his desire to take his time, enjoy the summer with his family, and not make a decision until at least the fall.
Redick was also limited in the 2020/21 season by a heel injury that kept him out of the Mavericks’ playoff run and bothered him throughout much of the season. Teams interested in his service will be sure to do their due diligence on how his recovery has gone, and whether that will be a lingering issue.
Millsap’s lengthy free agency is a little more surprising. Though the 36-year-old forward is clearly slowing down a bit in recent years, he was still an important part of the Nuggets’ success over the last four seasons, as a versatile team defender who shot over 37% from three in his Denver tenure.
With defense and shooting a premium commodity from the power forward spot, Millsap’s skill set would be very useful to a number of contending teams, or teams looking to make the push into contention. In previous reporting, Millsap has been linked to the Warriors, Timberwolves, Hawks, Nets, Pelicans, and Sixers, which leads to an interesting philosophical question for the veteran.
If Millsap were to go to a team like the Timberwolves, he would likely play a relatively large amount of minutes, as second-year defensive standout Jaden McDaniels, Jake Layman and current RFA Jarred Vanderbilt are the only forwards on the team’s roster. He could join a young team desperate to start winning, and provide an ideal counterpart to the elite shooting of Karl-Anthony Towns.
But his lack of rush in signing a deal also points to a potential desire to do more than get minutes for a likely middling team. With the Warriors, Millsap could fill a role very similar to the one Blake Griffin provided for the Nets last season, and, depending on the growth and health of last year’s number two overall pick James Wiseman, could possibly even start alongside Draymond Green. Millsap’s IQ, defensive versatility and shooting prowess would make him an ideal fit in Golden State’s system, and helping Stephen Curry and the Warriors regain their contender status could hold a lot of appeal for a player who has only won two career Conference Finals games.
The Warriors still have their taxpayer mid-level exception, meaning they could offer up to $5.9MM to Millsap, though the tax bill from doing so would be immense.
With the Bucks, Millsap could provide a similar role. After losing P.J. Tucker to the Heat, the Bucks remain very shallow in the frontcourt, with Bobby Portis and raw second-year player Mamadi Diakite as the team’s only depth. Millsap could provide a similar role to Tucker, but as more of a threat from deep.
Meanwhile, the Nets are generally considered the most likely landing spot for Redick, who lives in Brooklyn already and loves New York. There have even been rumblings that Redick might consider retirement if he doesn’t land with the Nets or Knicks. But between Kyrie Irving, Patty Mills, James Harden, Joe Harris, and this year’s first-round pick Cameron Thomas, the Nets are already overflowing with hot-shooting guards who are defensive question marks, and it’s unclear what kind of role Redick would command.
The Knicks, who have also been mentioned as a team Redick could be interested in, have a similar guard log-jam, with Evan Fournier, second-year standout Immanuel Quickley, Alec Burks, and first-round pick Quentin Grimes all likely to see time at the shooting guard position.
So that brings us to the question of the day: Which teams will Redick and Millsap end up with? And will they sign before the season, or after the season’s already underway?
Take to the comments to let us know!
JJ Reddick is done.
I don’t even think he’ll get a look mid-season for a playoff run. I believe his career is over.
Another drama queen and he’s just a role player.
Have to disagree. He can still hit a three, and guys like Mike Miller have shown us that no matter how hobbled or bad you are at everything else, if you can hit threes, someone will find a spot for you. This past season was his worst in nearly a decade but he still hit above league average (37.1% versus the league average of 36.7%; he hit 39.5% once he got out of New Orleans).
Mike Miller was 6 7 or 6 8. Kyle Korver was 6 7. The small forwards who can shoot last a little bit longer than 6-4 shooting guards. We’ll see what happens maybe he finds a spot but I really don’t think so. I think he’s done.
The Warriors will only offer a minimum contract Paul Millsap. There’s no way he gets that mid-level exception thing and this is the reason why…
There’s guys on the Warriors that they would rather give minutes to before Paul Millsap. So they’re not going to pay 5.9 million dollars for a guy to ride the pine. They might pay 2 million but not 5.9.
Plus that roster spot is left open for a ball-handling guard.., or for a buyout guy, someone like that. That’s how I understand things to be right now in San Francisco.
The real reason is that $5.9M cost would actually be $25M with the luxury taxes. The GM has already said that they are planning on starting the season with a 14-man roster which would mean releasing both Mulder and Payton.
The only player they’re adding at this point will be on a 2-way contract.
I would agree on both those cuts. We’ve seen enough of Mulder to decide what he gives is not enough on a playoff team. He can shoot a little but even then he slumps and he’ll go 3 for 11. Plus he doesn’t give anything else so he’s gone. We’ve gave him a shot last year.
And Gary Payton Jr or the second, is not an NBA player. He’s got physical ability, he’s fast, can jump, and is tenacious on defense but the man is not an offensive threat off the dribble or with the jumper, and he’s not a pure point guard. There’s guys that are tenacious on defense that aren’t that great on offense, but hey they’re serviceable like Patrick Beverley, Gary Payton is no Patrick Beverley I’ll tell you that.
Milwaukee if they still have money they are willing to spend.
Think one of them will end up in Milwaukee but leaning towards Redick. Wonder if that would change at all if Dellovdich is healthy and Milwaukee could think of him coming back? But then again if anyone of them aren’t contributing to the rotation I look for the Bucks to go with younger wild card players that could turn into a big thing years down the road .
I’d love Millsap on the Bulls. We need a veteran leader and he still has game. He can go off for 20-25 once in a while. Now it’s about finding that last veteran piece who can help this core grow and take the next level of becoming a Eastern Conference playoff contender in a year or two. Besides Ball, this team doesn’t have any financially strapped deals for anything beyond 2023. Obviously, I’m not including Lavine but atleast we don’t have a bad contract on our team like we used too in years past. So refreshing.
Millsap would be perfect on the Bulls right now.
Millsap would be perfect for the Celtics, they need more depth at the 4 spot. Especially coming off the bench they lack defence
NO team in the NBA NEEDS Millsap more than the Timberwolves.
They are razor thin at PF……….
But Millsap won’t wanna play for them……unless they grossly overpay.
I can see the sixers getting one of these two.