Mavericks Trade for JJ Redick, Nicolo Melli

According to Tim Cato and Shams Charania, both of The Athletic, the Dallas Mavericks have acquired JJ Redick and Nicolo Melli from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for James Johnson, Wes Iwundu, and a second round pick.

Redick has come off the bench this season for the Pelicans, averaging 8.7 points and 1.3 assists per game. More importantly, though, he’s shooting 36% from behind the arc this season, and the Mavericks need to bolster their 3-point shooting. I’m guessing Dallas is hoping Redick will return to his career average of 41% from deep once he’s got a little more space to operate thanks to Luka Doncic. Redick’s $13 million contract expires this summer.

The 30 year-old Melli is in his second NBA season and has appeared in 22 games for the Pelicans this year. The 6’9” big man will almost definitely get some minutes in the Dallas front court, as coach Rick Carlisle has been searching for answers there all season. Melli has an expiring contract this summer as well.

Johnson has fallen out of the rotation in the last month, and Iwundu failed to carve out regular minutes at all. The Mavericks have been playing with a shortened rotation, so a veteran shooter like Redick will definitely reinforce the lineup. Melli adds some front court depth. The Mavericks improved their roster this season while maintaining flexibility for the upcoming offseason.

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