Only a year and a half has passed since the Orlando Magic made a crucial decision about J.J. Redick. The team chose to retain Redick by matching the three-year, $19 million offer sheet Redick had signed from the Chicago Bulls as a restricted free agent.
It’s tough to believe, but the Magic have another contract-related decision to make about Redick within the next six months.
It was not disclosed at the time — the team does release details about player contracts — but the Magic essentially hold a team option for the final year of his deal, the 2012-13 season. In the highly unlikely event the Magic waive him before July 8, Redick would not be owed any of the roughly $6 million he is due for that season, and he would become an unrestricted free agent.
“It’s not even on my mind,” Redick answered when asked about his status for next season.
“I haven’t even discussed it with [General Manager] Otis [Smith]. My agent, I don’t even think, has discussed it with Otis. My assumption is that this organization has some decisions to make with Dwight [Howard], and that will take precedence, and whatever they decide, they’ll have until July 7th to do it.”
Team options and player options are relatively common in the NBA, and it would seem that retaining Redick for 2012-13 would be a no-brainer unless he is traded before then.
The franchise has shown a willingness to spend heavily on payroll in recent years.
Last month, it committed $26 million over four years to acquire big man Glen Davis in a sign-and-trade deal. Also last month, the Magic re-signed shooting guard Jason Richardson to a four-year deal worth about $25 million.
Is it conceivable that the Magic would want to shed salary — including Redick’s — to free up cap space to make a run at a free agent next summer? Possible, but the team also would have to make a series of other moves, too.
Then again, with Howard wanting a trade, the Magic’s roster could look much different three months from now, let alone six months from now.
Redick, 27, recently has enhanced his value to the Magic and, potentially, to other teams before the March 15 trade deadline.
He is averaging 13.8 points per game off the bench and is shooting 50.9 percent from the field. It’s early, but so far, he has outplayed Richardson on the offensive end of the court.
If nothing else, Redick has proven he has recovered fully from offseason surgery to repair two abdominal tears in his lower abdomen.
Redick made it clear what he hopes will happen in 2012-13.
He wants to stay with the Magic.
“I’d love to be back,” he said.
Travel change
A Magic official said the team has received permission from the league office to make unusual travel arrangements for its game against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis on Saturday, Feb. 4.
After the Magic play the Cleveland Cavaliers in Orlando on Friday, Feb. 3, the Magic will not fly immediately to Indianapolis, as the league typically would require.
The reason: There are no hotel rooms available in Indianapolis, because Super Bowl XLVI will be played there on Feb. 5.
Team officials did tried to secure rooms, but their attempts failed.
So the Magic are planning to hold a walkthrough in Orlando on the day of the game and then fly to Indianapolis sometime early in the afternoon. The Magic will return to Central Florida immediately after the game ends.
Layups
• The Washington Wizards, who will play the Magic on Wednesday, practiced on the Magic’s practice court at Amway Center on Tuesday afternoon.
• Wednesday’s game against Washington might not be entirely pleasant for Howard. Wizards coach Flip Saunders said: “The biggest thing when you play against great players [is] somehow you want to try to make them uncomfortable playing and do whatever you can to make them uncomfortable where they just don’t get into a great rhythm.”
• Monday night, Saunders was ejected early in the first quarter of Washington’s 100-92 loss to the Boston Celtics. Saunders was incensed that a foul wasn’t called when a Celtics player fell on Rashard Lewis. Afterward, a lot of Wizards players said they appreciated Saunders for sticking up for them. “As I’ve told players, you’re pretty much a family as a team,” Saunders said Tuesday. “So anytime you’re in that kind of a situation and you see someone that is not being treated fairly by someone, you have to back him. As a coach, I’m going to back my players. I’m not saying I want to get thrown out of every game in order to do that.”
jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.
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