The Philadelphia 76ers have come to terms with two veterans – sharpshooter J.J. Redick and power forward Amir Johnson -- to back up their young core. The Sixers and Redick agreed to a one-year deal worth $23 million. In a text message to ESPN, Redick confirmed the agreement, saying "it's where I wanted to be.”
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Johnson agreed to a one-year deal worth $11 million with the 76ers.
He recently played for two seasons with the Boston Celtics, averaging 6.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 21.4 minutes of action. He signed a two-year deal worth $24 million with the Celtics when he became unrestricted free agent in 2015.
Redick to boost 76ers' offense
Redick also confirmed the move on social media, tweeting “trust the process,” in reference to the 76ers motto last season. The 33-year-old Redick will provide the 76ers the needed boost on offense with his outside shooting. A 12-year veteran, the 32-year-old Redick averaged 15.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game last season.
Redick buried 42.9 percent of his shots from beyond the arc, giving his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers, a threat from the outside. Before signing Redick, the 76ers only have Robert Covington as a reliable outside shooter.
Johnson’s hustle to play key role with 76ers
Johnson’s statistics don’t reflect his actual value to a team because of the immeasurable effort that he brings every game, including hustle plays and defense. According to ESPN.com, the 30-year-old Johnson placed third in both true shooting percentage and assist ratio among qualified power forwards last season. In addition, Johnson is a great teammate and a positive presence in the locker room, an important aspect of a young team like the 76ers.
Johnson was taken in the second round by Detroit in 2005. He played four seasons with the Pistons before he was shipped to the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason. The Bucks then worked a trade with the Raptors, sending him to Toronto Carlos Delfino and Roko Ukic. After signing a five-year deal worth $34 million with the Raptors, he averaged 9.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in 75 games. Johnson averaged 7.5 points and 5.7 rebounds in 745 career games with the Pistons, Raptors and the Celtics.
Redick and Johnson will provide support for the 76ers young core, composed of rookie Markelle Fultz, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric or known to Philadelphia fans as FEDS. Despite signing the two veterans to one-year deals, the 76ers still have $15 million in cap space they can use to sign Covington.