JJ Redick rings on the management of exchanges by the New Orleans Pelicans front office with the Dallas Mavericks

JJ Redick criticized the New Orleans Pelicans front office for the way he handled his trade with the Dallas Mavericks on last week’s deadline, saying the executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin “had not lived up to his word” to help put Redick in a favorable position where he would be closer to his family.

Redick, who signed a two-year, $ 26.5 million contract with the Pelicans as a free agent in the summer of 2019, said in his podcast The Old Man & the Three, released Wednesday, that he first asked to be treated last. November for several reasons. One of the reasons was a desire to be closer to his family in Brooklyn, where his son was starting kindergarten and couldn’t make it to New Orleans due to school quarantine rules. Another reason was that pelicans traded. guard Jrue Holiday, who Redick said was one of the main reasons he wanted to play New Orleans in the first place.

He expressed all of this to Griffin and General Manager Trajan Langdon. Redick said that while his agent was dealing with things, he also spoke personally with Griffin.

“I spoke to Griff. I spoke to Trajan. Griff basically said to me, ‘Come down for a month. If you still want to be traded, I give you my word, I’ll get you into a situation you love. “We had four subsequent conversations,” Redick said on the podcast. “Again my agent spoke to them. But I’m talking directly to Griff. Griff and I had a personal relationship.

“Obviously he didn’t keep his word.”

Asked specifically by podcast co-host Tommy Alter if he thinks players will be able to trust the Pelicans front office in the future, Redick was frank.

“I don’t think you’ll get the honesty from this front office, just objectively speaking,” Reddick said. “It’s not an opinion – I just don’t think you’ll get that. I don’t think what happened to me was necessarily an isolated incident either. But I think across the league, the front offices, they act in their best interests I understand that I understand that.

“Honestly – and it’s hard for me to admit it – I think I was a little naive in thinking this because I was in 15th grade, and I had at least tried to get it all right. throughout my career and I honored my end with the good deal, but as far as this front office goes, yes, it’s not something that I would certainly expect the agents who have worked on that with me trust this front office again. “

Redick said he understands that once he is not processed by the global February 2 deadline, he will be bought out and allowed to join a team of his choosing. Redick wanted to be treated in a Northeastern team, where he could be closer to his family in Brooklyn.

“I’m looking at the redemption situation not like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be redeemed and go to [the] Brooklyn [Nets]”He said.” I just wanted to be able, on my days off, to visit my family and be within driving distance.

Redick has said he will join the Mavericks on Thursday when the team reaches New York, as they are set to face the Knicks on Friday. He will continue his rehab alone in New York City before joining the team at a later date.

Redick said he made it clear in conversation with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban that he was in no way upset with Dallas, and said he was excited to play with “two transcendent young players” at Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.

Asked about Redick’s trade last week, Griffin, while acknowledging the strain COVID-19 has placed on families, said the team spent the “vast majority” of the year trying to put him in a place where Redick’s family was.

“We spent a lot of time trying to bring JJ closer to home. When it became clear that the teams that were best suited for him regionally weren’t necessarily the most aggressive to land him, we had some problems. conversations about the importance of struggling immediately as you get older, ”Griffin said on March 26.

“I think we were convinced JJ was hosting the best competitive opportunity because we’re not even in the play-in at this point. We thought it was the right thing for him and his family to do.”

Shortly after the publication of Redick’s comments on Wednesday, Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy spoke to the media, saying the responsibility for a front office rests primarily with the franchise.

“(JJ) had certain things he wanted to happen. But I think Griff cared a lot about what JJ wanted, but he has a responsibility to Gayle Benson and the organization that replaces it all,” Van Gundy said. .

“Look, the only thing with me – and I think I’ve been consistent about this throughout my career – is that you’ll hear people say every now and then that it’s a business; well, that’s it. The players are going to want to do what is best for them and they have every right to do it, and organizations have every right to do what is best. for their organization. I have problems when it is skewed that this is a business on my side, but you should it is not a business on your side. It is not fair. It is a business on my side. two sides.

“Everyone should do what’s best for them. That part, the business part of basketball, when you talk about trades and signing and free agent contracts and all that – all the The world should do what’s best in their best interests. Unfortunately sometimes what the player wants and what the team want diverge. It’s unfortunate, but it’s just part of the situation. “