Usually, a player’s current team has a massive advantage in re-signing said player once they hit free agency. In the case of Redick and the Sixers, though, it’s just a decent-sized advantage as opposed to a massive one.
The fact Redick signed a one-year deal (worth $23 million) to join Philly last summer means the team doesn’t own his Bird, or early Bird, Rights. Those require a minimum of a two-year contract with a team before they’re applicable.
However, Philly can still use his non-Bird Rights and offer Redick up to 120 percent of his previous salary to re-sign him. Non-Bird Rights also allow a team to go over the cap to bring back one of their free agents. Thus, the Sixers will still have a leg up in Redick’s free agency, even without his Bird Rights.
But are they a lock to be aggressive in recruiting Redick to return?
It’s tough to say.
Redick will be a year older next season, and his defensive deficiencies were seriously exposed by the Boston Celtics, who ousted the Sixers from the playoffs in merely five games. Spending almost 25 percent of their cap on an aging shooting guard who only specializes in one thing may not be the smartest investment, especially when they’ll have the cap space to go after a James or a George instead.
Truth be told, re-signing Marco Belinelli at a fifth of the price may be the wiser move.
It would appear that unless Redick is willing to take a pretty big pay cut in order to re-sign with the team based in the City of Brotherly Love, it’s going to be difficult for the two parties to find common ground in negotiations.
If Philly thinks they can replace his production at a cheaper price, or if they strike gold with any of their top targets in free agency, the sun may very well have set on Redick’s time with the Sixers:
