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The Orlando Magic have agreed to trade seventh-year guard J.J. Redick to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Beno Udrih, Tobias Harris and Doron Lamb, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Sam Amick of USA Today Sports adds that the Bucks will also receive Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith in the deal.
Wth the move the Bucks acquire a legitimate three-point shooter having a career year who can help the team this season, but Redick will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and he will reportedly be seeking a four-year, $40 million deal this summer.
Here's a rundown of the trade news:
Orlando has traded J.J Redick to the Bucks, league source tells Y!
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 21, 2013
Milwaukee sends Orlando Doron Lamb, Tobias Harris and Beno Udrih, source tells Y!
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 21, 2013
Orlando sends JJ Redick, Gustavo Ayon, and Ish Smith to Milwaukee for Doron Lamb, Beno Udrih and Tobias Harris, I'm told.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 21, 2013
The Bucks parted with their most consistent contributor in the backcourt, but Redick should make up for Beno Udrih by propping up the team's true shooting percentage. Redick is a career 39.8 percent three-point shooter, and this season he's posting a career-high 16.3 PER. His 59.2 percent true shooting will help improve the Bucks' 50.6 percent mark -- which ranks 27th in the NBA.
I'll say this: Any minutes the Bucks shift from Monta Ellis to J.J. Redick represent a big plus.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) February 21, 2013
The Bucks had to part ways with young prospects like Tobias Harris and Doron Lamb to get the deal done, but they did also receive Gustavo Ayon in return. Ayon played well for the Hornets last season in extended minutes (16.7 PER, 55.2 TS%), but he's another power forward/center the Bucks are adding to the mix.
Ayon is 27 years old, he stands 6'10 and he weighs 250 pounds, so perhaps Hammond sees Ayon as a good fit next to lean big men like Larry Sanders and John Henson. The Mexican big man is on a very affordable contract, and he is signed through next season at $1.5 million per campaign.
Ish Smith can do more than Doron Lamb can right now, but with the defensive potential that Lamb flashed this season it's a bit upsetting that they had to let him go so early. Hopefully that part of the deal isn't a Jodie Meeks type move by Hammond.
The decision to move Tobias Harris is the portion of the deal that will ultimately define this trade. If Harris taps into his potential and matures next season with the Magic, the Bucks will be kicking themselves for moving him to get a half-season rental of J.J. Redick. Harris has struggled to stay on the court due to his defensive deficiencies, but he's also a 20-year-old player on a cost-controlled deal who is full of potential. The Bucks didn't have room to play him as a faceup PF this year, but he may flourish in that role if the Magic choose to use him in that way.
Milwaukee undeniably bought high on Redick and sold low on both Harris and Lamb. Now the focus turns to the remainder of the season. The Bucks have improved their backcourt by adding a three-point shooter who can space the floor for Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis.
There is a gap between the Eastern Conference elite and the bottom of the playoff ladder that needs to be filled by someone. Hammond made a move to put the Bucks in position to improve their seeding and avoid a first-round matchup against a team like the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls or Indiana Pacers. The future is now. Let's see if the gamble pays off.