Feb 19, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic shooting guard J.J. Redick (7) reacts during the first quarter against the Charlotte Bobcats at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-USA TODAY Sports

With Redick prepared to walk out of the door if not compensated properly, the Orlando Magic chose to deal him for expiring contracts and rookie deals. The Orlando Magic are sending J.J Redick along with Gustavo Ayon and Ishmael Smith to Milwaukee for Tobias Harris, Doron Lamb, and Beno Udrih according to Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski.

It was expected that Orlando Magic were looking for a first round pick for Redick, but now the Magic will have enough cap space at the end of the season to go after multiple maximum contract players.

The Bucks will get a shooting guard who is efficient in his production shooting 39% from beyond the arch. Any minutes that he gets over Monta Ellis should be looked at as a plus for the Bucks.

It was widely thought that the Spurs were after Redick today, but it was reported that they didn’t have the assets to make the deal possible.

Nov 21, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at American Airlines Arena. The Heat defeated the Bucks 113-106 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

DISCLAIMER:   This is NOT a rumor, nor a report.  

Let’s face it:  the Heat are nearly unstoppable, but teams can always get better.  The glaring hole in Miami’s roster since the formation of the Big Three has been the 5-spot.  They use power forward Chris Bosh at center, who while effective still is not a center.  He’s too thin to body up against Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum…and even the likes of Al Jefferson, Nikola Pekovic and Marc Gasol can give the skinny (almost frail) Bosh a fit.

Utah is rebuilding, to be sure, but Al Jefferson is an expiring contract and is no lock to remain in a Jazz uniform, to say the very least.

Utah also has a shoot-first aging point guard in Mo Williams starting.

How much sense would it make to trade Jefferson for Dwyane Wade?

A lot.

Wade may be 30, but he’s still a big ticket draw and the Utah fans would likely rejoice in being able to obtain a player who still has three or four seasons of very good basketball left in him.

Would it propel Utah to contender status?  Maybe.

They would seek to retain Millsap (who would likely want to stay with Wade coming aboard), be able to slide Enes Kanter into the starting lineup, and be able to find more minutes for Derrick Favors, who is really starting to come on strong—finally.

Quite simply, the move would make both teams better, which is after all the purpose of executing trades to begin with.

Miami fans would likely lament the loss of Wade, who has been a fixture on the team since he was drafted in 2003, but they would get over it when they saw how much of a difference it made on the defensive end to have a (decent) shot blocker like Jefferson manning the paint.

November 19, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson (25) is defended by Houston Rockets power forward Patrick Patterson (54) during the first quarter at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

LeBron would also enhance Jefferson’s skill set further with his array of impressive passes and ability to draw double and triple teams.

Miami GM Pat Riley may be gun shy on this one.  The Heat did just win a championship.  But as I said, teams can always get better…even teams that are already the best.

Why not seek to make a team that is nearly unbeatable completely unbeatable?  Why not obtain a legitimate center for an aging superstar?

I can’t think of a single reason not to.

May 20, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers small forward Danny Granger (33) attempts a three pointer against Miami Heat small forward Shane Battier (31) in game four of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Miami defeated Indiana 101-93. Mandatory credit: Michael Hickey-US PRESSWIRE

A lot of people feel Paul Pierce should not be traded.  The fact remains, that after this year, there will likely be a shift towards the future, if the Celtics happen to fall short in their quest to yet another banner.

Using ESPN’s trade machine, one trade I feel could help that cause is the following:

Boston Trades:  Paul Pierce (and possibly a first rounder) + Sean Williams

Indiana Trades:  Danny Granger and Tyler “Psycho T” Hansbrough

The move would give the C’s a younger option, while the Pacers would gain the experience of Pierce, a proven closer and someone who could help put the Pacers over the hump.

The question, for the Pacers, is whether Pierce is an upgrade at this point or whether it is a lateral move for an older player, one that would shoot themselves in the foot as Pierce retires in a couple years.

The throw-ins in this trade aren’t really throw-ins at all.  Hansbrough would add some front court depth.

According to the Hollinger Analysis, the move increases the Pacers win total by two games, while hurting the Celtics:  They are projected to win four less games with Granger.

But is that accurate?  Would not the acquisition of Granger greatly aid the Celtics?  Wouldn’t adding a high volume three point shooter only make the C’s that much more dangerous?

The camp that says Pierce needs to and will retire a Celtic will object to dealing him away for a player like Granger, but Granger has already made the All-Star team once, and at age 29, he is in the heart of his prime.

The New Mexico product has averaged over 20 points per game the last four seasons, and in 2008-09, he put up 25.7 per game, while connecting on over 40 percent of his threes.  For his career, he is a 38.4 percent three point shooter, and that is better than Paul Pierce’s 36.9 percent, slightly anyway.  Pierce also doesn’t shoot the volume of threes Granger does.

Their stats are pretty similar, but Pierce is five years older and on the verge of retiring, while Granger should still have a few seasons of top-tier production left in the tank.

The first (or second) round pick thrown in would serve as good pot sweetener, so the Pacers didn’t feel as though they were completely sacrificing their future.  The pick would be in the mid to late first round, so it wouldn’t be sacrificing a high lottery pick.

Again, the main aspect to consider is whether the C’s want Pierce to retire in green & white, or whether they want to go a different direction and plan for the near-future.  Granger, Rajon Rondo, and Jeff Green could be the face of the franchise moving forward, if this move were consummated.  Granger and Green play the same position, but Green can play power forward, too, and Granger has the athleticism to fill in at power forward, too.

Granger has been the face of the Pacers, but with the emergence of Paul George, his presence on the roster is a redundancy.  Moreover, when Pierce retires, it would give the Pacers the cap flexibility to replace The Truth with a younger option, and all is well in Indy.  It’s a strange move, to be sure, but I feel it would benefit both teams, and isn’t that outlandish at all.