Toronto Raptors: Why Masai Ujiri should avoid a JJ Redick trade

The Toronto Raptors will be active on the trade market if they start to slide out of the playoff picture, as Masai Ujiri and the newly-extended Bobby Webster will try to sell off some of their contributors. If the Raptors are still in the hunt for the postseason, expect Ujiri to be on the phones nonstop looking for new additions.

One potential trade target that could make his way to Toronto is shooting guard JJ Redick, who has seen his name surface in trade rumors alongside that of New Orleans Pelicans teammate Lonzo Ball, who could end up on the Raptors himself.

While Redick has been in the league forever and remains one of the best shooters in the NBA over the last few decades, he doesn’t really look like a fit on this roster.

JJ Redick’s shooting won’t be enough to make him a worthwhile addition to the Toronto Raptors

While the Raptors have started to freeze up from the three-point line of late, this seems more like a poor stretch of games against a solid defense as opposed to a genuine problem that Ujiri needs to fix right away. As experienced as Redick is, a trait that could theoretically make him a valued member of such a young Raptors team, he offers little in terms of positional versatility on both ends of the floor.

If the Raptors want to start winning some games, interior and perimeter defense should take precedent over adding another shooter.

If you want to add Redick for his shooting, even that is starting to fade away. While Redick ranked in the 90th percentile or greater among wings in points per shot attempt in all but one of the last 12 seasons, Redick finds himself in the 37th percentile this season. To add insult to injury, a 45 percent overall shooter with a career 41 percent success rate from deep is shooting just 34 percent from the floor and 30 percent from beyond the arc. While he is playing in a very rudimentary Pelicans offense thanks to Stan Van Gundy’s emphasis on defense, Redick is the definition of a depreciating asset.

It will be extremely difficult to find an NBA player that does not have the utmost respect and admiration for Redick. However, he is an aging three-point shooter that isn’t even shooting at a very efficient clip, which should be a massive red flag for Toronto’s front office.

There are players Toronto can sign to improve this team, but Redick better left untouched, as the combination of his age, style of play, and disappearing efficiency makes for a lethal cocktail that Ujiri and Webster shouldn’t even consider taking a risk on.

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