JJ Redick would have meant huge changes for the Phoenix Suns

2 of 3

PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 4: JJ Redick #17 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball against the Phoenix Suns on December 4, 2017 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

How would the roster have looked with Redick?

Had the Suns acquired Redick, he specifically noted that there would have had to have been a trade to be able to open up the cap space necessary to sign him.

Thus the eventual move of Jared Dudley to the Brooklyn Nets would have still happened, potentially even sooner than it actually did, while the trade of Brandon Knight and Marquese Chriss too would have gone down quickly.

History, beyond the acquisition of Redick, likely wouldn’t have changed much.

What would have changed then would have been all the current talk of finding a point guard.

As of right now, the Suns claim that they are in active talks with multiple teams around the league to find and acquire a starter to allow Booker to slide back to the shooting guard spot.

While I disagree with the strategy, I also question the claim’s authenticity.

Right now I believe that there is only one point guard in the NBA that the Suns should make an honest and legitimate attempt to acquire, Damian Lillard. Lillard is too big of a star and too good of a 3-point shooter himself to not try and acquire. (For anyone who might question this move, he was an All-NBA First Team member last season, therefore placing him as one of the top-five players in the league, and the number one true point guard.)

More from Valley of the Suns

Beyond acquiring Lillard, though, playing Booker at the point and trying to find another shooting guard who is a capable passer in a two-off-guard backcourt and can also shoot 3’s at the rate the Suns appear to be wanting to do this season seems to be the direction that they are trying to go.

The addition of Redick would have meant that the Suns would have had that solid 3-point shooting backcourt of Booker and Redick, the perfect pairing for a non-traditional lineup.

Had the Rockets’ trade gone down exactly as it did, then it is possible that the acquisition of Ryan Anderson then would have placed him in the starting lineup with Ariza (while without Redick I do not believe that he will be a starter), therefore the starting lineup would have looked something like this:

PG – Devin Booker
SG – J.J. Redick
SF – Trevor Ariza
PF – Ryan Anderson
C – Deandre Ayton

Four starters who all shot at least 36.8% from beyond the arc last season, each capable of jacking up outside shots at a prolific rate, while draining them at an ever increasing efficiency just like the Warriors and Rockets.

If that isn’t a clone of the Houston Rockets or Golden State Warriors, I don’t know what is.

Whereas now, I believe that the lineup will look this way:

PG – Devin Booker
SG – Josh Jackson
SF – T.J. Warren
PF – Trevor Ariza
C – Deandre Ayton

This lineup allows for there to be sufficient shooting off the bench between Troy Daniels and Ryan Anderson, keeping the rotation stacked with shooters at all time.

Home/Suns News