Two years ago, veteran NBA guard JJ Redick was in search of his next landing spot. After he wrapped up his fourth season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Redick was ready to move on and get a fresh start. At that point in his career, the 33-year-old guard wasn't looking for the biggest payday. While the Houston Rockets had more to offer, Redick figured a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers could serve him well.

Redick joined the Sixers and quickly became a crowd, and locker room favorite. Although the Sixers were a talented bunch in 2017, they lacked veteran experience. Not only did Redick offer the team a sharpshooter, but he also played a crucial leadership role. That helped the Sixers understand how much they needed Redick's services beyond the lone season he signed up for two years ago.

After a second-round exit, courtesy of the Boston Celtics, the Sixers had to go back to the drawing board ahead of the 2018 season. Of course, it wasn't easy considering that their head coach, Brett Brown had to play General Manager over the summer. But the team made it work. Redick was ready to run it back; therefore, he landed another one-year deal in Philadelphia. 2018 came and went, with nearly the same results and just like that, Redick is back in the free agency pool. Except for this time, the results are different.

On the Sunday morning of NBA Free Agency's opening, Redick made a bold statement, which flooded the internet just hours before deals were able to be finalized. Apparently, the Sixers organization has made quite the impact on Redick, and the 35-year-old guard was ready to settle in with a deal that specifically ensures he can retire as a 76er. Unfortunately, that won't end up happening.

“I thought for sure I would retire in Philly. I thought that. And that was even a conversation that I had with Josh Harris. Sometimes the economics of things don’t work out. Even prior to those conversations, like when I heard that New Orleans might be a possibility, there was a genuine excitement that I had about this. This was not me just, like, oh I’m gonna take whatever money.”

On Redick's latest episode of The JJ Redick Podcast, Redick revealed what his free agency process was like. And although he was under the belief that the Sixers could potentially lock him in with another contract, he was shocked to find out that he was headed to New Orleans to play with Pelicans as soon as the clock struck 6.

There are no hard feelings between Redick and the Sixers, as the veteran understands their situation. Locking in Tobias Harris was a must, and picking up Al Horford was a major move, which set them back financially, making it hard to retain Redick. Although money wasn't the motive for Redick, it's still essential he gets paid accordingly.

He may no longer be a part of the Sixers organization, but Redick was surely keeping tabs on the team this offseason. "I like how they've built the team," Redick mentioned regarding the Sixers offseason moves. "There’s a lot of depth, I think. There’s a lot of different ways they’ll be able to play. I think them and Milwaukee are the favorites in the East for sure.”

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN. You can follow Justin on Twitter: @JGrasso_

 

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