BUCKS BRING IN REDICK IN 6-PLAYER DEAL
The Milwaukee Bucks acquired combo guard J.J. Redick, power forward / center Gustavo Ayon, and point guard Ish Smith from the Orlando Magic for point guard Beno Udrih, forward Tobias Harris, and combo guard Doron Lamb.
What does it give the Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks are still well in the playoff hunt in the East, so adding Redick here gives them a better chance to make it and to do well in the postseason. Redick has really rounded out his game this season, and is one of the NBA's better combo guards. Even better for the Bucks, he gives the team more options in case either of their star starting backcourt duo of {P Monta Ellis} or {P Brandon Jennings} decides to leave this summer. While Redick too is a pending free agent, if he has a good experience in Milwaukee it won't be surprising if he is re-signed (and he may get to become a
starter with Milwauke if either Ellis or Jenning bolts). Ayon is an underrated big man who may have a tough time finding minutes in Milwaukee's deep frontcourt, while Smith has shown he can play the NBA point capably (and should see some backup minutes). Both Ayon and Smith have multi-year deals but they're very affordable.
What does it give the Orlando Magic
Orlando is a very young and overhauling squad, so moving a quality vet (Redick) whose contract is set to expire is a no-brainer. They also clear up a big chunk of cap space here by adding Udrih, whose $7.3 million salary comes off the books in the summer. Harris and Lamb are both locked into deals for two more years after this one, but they are relatively low-salaried and both Harris and Lamb have a lot of untapped talent (something rebuilding teams need).
Fantasy impact
Redick should quickly become the Bucks' first guard off the bench and help the Bucks make the playoffs. His numbers shouldn't change too much (since he had a similar role in Orlando) but a small downgrade fantasy-wise is needed here, since he won't likely see as many shots playing with Ellis and Jennings. Ayon will have a hard time breaking into the stacked Bucks frontcourt (so should be a fantasy afterthought), but monitor Smith's role (as he takes some of the minutes left by Udrih and Lamb). For the Magic, Udrih should see a bump up in playing time (and is now a solid sleeper), while both Harris and Lamb have an uphill climb down the stretch for bigger roles. The deal does probably help rookie forward {P Andrew Nicholson}, however, at least in the short term (since Ayon is gone).
