The Los Angeles Clippers entered this offseason needing more outside shooting and a reserve big who can score.
One need down, one to go.
In a three-team deal reported by Yahoo! Sports, the Clippers landed guards J.J. Redick from the Milwaukee Bucks and Jared Dudley from the Phoenix Suns.
The Clippers sent young point guard Eric Bledsoe and veteran forward Caron Butler to the Suns and a second-round pick to the Bucks. The Suns also sent a second-round pick to the Bucks.
Redick received a four-year, $27 million deal that includes a trade kicker, according to the report.
Here’s a breakdown of each team:
CLIPPERS: Redick joins his third team in six months. His normally steady stroke vanished after being dealt from Orlando to Milwaukee but he still averaged a career-high 14.1 points per game. He is a career 39 percent shooter from the arc and his defense and dribble-drive game are underrated.
Believe it or not, Dudley is even a better shooter with a career mark of 40.5 percent from deep. At 6-7, Dudley is big enough to play small forward and could see most of his minutes there if Matt Barnes isn’t re-signed. The new duo is a serious upgrade over Willie Green and Chauncey Billups but will bury rookie Reggie Bullock.
SUNS: New GM Ryan McDonough lands a potential star in Bledsoe and an expiring $8 million contract in Butler but creates logjams at point guard and small forward. At the point, Phoenix already has Goran Dragic and drafted Kendall Marshall a year ago. At the wing, Butler’s professionalism could marginalize Michael Beasley and rookie Alex Oriakhi.
BUCKS: They had plenty of cap room but apparently bringing back Redick wasn’t in their plans, which makes dealing Tobias Harris look even worse now. At least they collected a couple of second-round picks.
dragic was the best player on the Suns. And didnt deserve that team……..he’s a quality pg in this league. So getting bledsoe is odd………and you give up Dudley, the only other decent player (well, gortat when he isnt sulking)…..so its not a great move i dont think. But the suns are an absolute disaster now. For the clips….nice move…if you trust CP3 to stay healthy. Otherwise its not a great move. Reddick is overrated and cant or wont play defense. As for the bucks…….how does john hammond still have a job?
At the wing, Butler’s professionalism could marginalize Michael Beasley and rookie Alex Oriakhi.
?? What does that statement even mean? First off, if Butler finishes the season with the Suns I’ll be shocked. He’s an expiring deal, a vet coming from a playoff team to a rebuilding situation. They’ll move him to a contender by the deadline. And he’s going to marginalize Beasley? Beasley marginalized Beasley. He doesn’t need any help from Butler.
And Oriakhi is a 6-9 260lb bruiser PF/C taken in the 2nd round no less. He may not even make the team, but if he does, I don’t Butler’s going to take his minutes.
So no…no logjam at the 2/3. Suns don’t have much depth there. Shannon the Cannon is the only real SG on the roster. And Marcus Morris is the only other guy who can play SF.
Suns logjam is at the PF spot, with the Marcus Bros, Scola, Frye (when healthy).
Oh and Kendall Marshall is garbage. Suns draft Goodwin and trade for Bledsoe. Marshall should pack his bags. Diante Garrett is a better player, but the Suns gave Marshall a shot because he was Blanks’ boy last year.