Redd's gone if price right

[greasybugsy]

If pressed to choose an all-good-guy local team from recent times, Michael Redd might head a roster that would include, among others, Ray Allen, Craig Counsell, Michael Curry, Mark Pope, Scott Williams, Jim McIlvaine, Charlie Bell and Bill Hall, even if the last two have managed to draw our fandom's ire.

Redd is such a righteous guy that I might even support his nomination for membership into the Hank Raymonds-Dick Bennett-Pat Richter Club for all-around decency.

But the problem is, even in a character-driven city like Milwaukee, good character doesn't always win games. Bad character can destroy a team, as was the case when the Bucks dumped Williams to sign Anthony Mason, but here's the bottom line since Redd became the face of the team upon the breakup of the Big Three:

Eighty games below .500 and one playoff victory.

Of course, you can't pin all that on Redd, who was stuck here while Glenn Robinson got a ring in San Antonio, and while Allen and Sam Cassell might get one in Boston. Management failed miserably to surround Redd with a supporting cast once the decision was made five years ago to dismantle one of the NBA's better teams.

The Bucks also erred in bestowing a maximum contract on Redd. Do that, and the player had better be able to carry a team. Redd is one of the league's premier scorers - mitigated by the fact the points have to come from somewhere on a bad team - but he could not lift the Bucks to even mediocrity. For the $17 million a year they pay him, the Bucks could've finished last without Redd.

So, of course you trade him if there is a chance to improve the product. It's lunacy to think that anyone from a 26-56 team is untouchable.

But here's what the Bucks cannot do: They cannot trade him for a handful of palookas in the last year of their contracts merely to achieve payroll flexibility. The franchise is too fragile to sell prolonged rebuilding. The last few fans who still care would set fire to the Bradley Center. If the new regime wants to move Redd, it had better get players it can compete with now.

John Hammond and Scott Skiles did the right thing by reaching out to Redd, but there was no guarantee to Redd that he wouldn't be traded. Hammond comes from an organization, the Detroit Pistons, which has never given a maximum contract, so you know where the new GM is on that.

What the Bucks need more than anything is a point guard, because Chris Paul and Deron Williams have plainly demonstrated that the NBA has become a point guard league. Interestingly enough, Hammond's old boss, Joe Dumars, is having a fire sale that includes Chauncey Billups.

It's doubtful the Pistons would want Redd, but what if they wanted Andrew Bogut? Maybe Detroit wouldn't trade within the division, but there's a scenario whereby Redd could stay, matched in a backcourt with Billups instead of another shoot-first guard in Mo Williams. Either Redd or Williams has to go to change the Bucks' soft jump-shooting personality.

Clearly, Redd is better suited as a complementary player to a superstar like LeBron James, but what does Cleveland have that the Bucks would possibly want? It goes back to the notion that the Bucks, if they want to trade one of their few marketable pieces, had better get a non-Gary Payton value in return this time.

Redd, the No. 8 pick, Bogut, Yi Jianlian, everything should be in play in exchange for the promise from the Bucks that they will not deaden our senses for another year.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=759699

[Thirteen]

Redd needs to get his ass outta there. But then again... i remember the days when true superstars would elevate their teams, even if they weren't the best in the league. He is no franchise player... send him to ATL or cleveland or Orlando and you could be looking at a ring i reckon.

[BlazinStreets]

I see ORL, CLE, WAS, and SEA all wanting a piece of Redd... They all need a good shooting 2-Guard

[.JESUS.]

come to cleveland

cleveland needs to aquire redd or someone if we want a ring or need to do something to just keep lebron

^said as a cleveland fan
___________________

id like to see redd go to washington or orlando also

^said as a NBA fan

[jwwballer]

its been time 4 him 2 leave

[chimochi]

redd wud look good with cleveland,except he would be the oppposite pippen,as they say lebron needs a pippen
cuz redd is one of the worst defenders in the league,jsut a very good shooter

[Fresh2Def15]

cleveland needs pick him up

[lil Fantastic]

New Jerseyyy

Harris
Redd
Carter
Jefferson

[yafeelme11]

Shit he would fit in good on Detroit if they could figure out a deal.

[yafeelme11]

Now that I think about it Michael Redd could very well be
a Piston next year. John Hammond just left the Pistons
organization this year to take over for Milwaukee. I see a combination of Rip,
Tay, Sheed and/or a Draft Pick going to the Bucks for Redd and maybe even Bogut.