There are several reports out there (starting with the pride of Apollo High School, Paul Coro) that the Phoenix Suns will sign former Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Michael Redd. Redd is coming off two ACL surgeries on the same knee in 2009 and 2010 and has played a total of 61 NBA games in the last three years.
Last season, Redd was still drawing a huge paycheck from the Bucks and made a brief 10-game comeback at the end of the season. He averaged 4.4 points and 13.4 minutes in that stretch and perhaps most troubling, shot just .235 from three.
Redd, in his prime, was known as one of the best shooters in the game but never shot over 40% from three after his brief stretch from 2001 to 2003, and for his career is a 44.9% shooter from the field. His defense in the best of times was iffy and now he's 32 and years removed from a full season of NBA play.
Maybe with all this extra time to work on his game, the high-character Redd can come in and give the Suns the offensive punch they so desperately need.
Or maybe he's so far removed from playing in the NBA that he'll be a low-cost PR stunt to give the impression the team is trying to do something.
It's a low risk move for the Suns (assuming they sign him to a one-year minimum deal) with the potential for high return should Redd be able to recapture his prior scoring magic. In other words, why not give Redd a chance?
The only downside here is taking potential minutes away from other guys like Josh Childress or Shannon Brown. The upside is adding a former one-time All-Star (2004) and member of the 2008 US Olympic "Redeem Team" who holds the record for the most threes made in a quarter (8, 2002 vs Houston). The press release practically writes itself.
Update: It's official with a press release proclaiming: 11-year NBA veteran is a former All-Star, gold medal winner
"Michael Redd has a proven pedigree as a first-rate NBA scorer," said Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby. "He will work with our renowned training staff to get into basketball shape. When he is ready to play, Michael will be a welcome addition to our team."
Here's what Bucks blog Brew Hoop had to say about a possible Redd return in February 2011:
Michael Redd ready to return--but don't hold your breath - Brew Hoop
Where you stand on Redd has a lot to do with how optimistic you are about his rehabilitation. If the 2011 Redd was something like the Redd we saw from 2002-2008, then a return to Milwaukee could make a lot of sense for both sides.It's painfully obvious the Bucks need a shot in the arm--especially on the offensive end--so it's easy to like the idea of Redd parachuting in to save the day. But let's be clear: Redd flat-out stunk on both ends the last time he tried to come back from a major knee injury, mixing in a few good games with far too many anonymous, bricklaying efforts.
And if Redd isn't going to be a useful scorer, then I'm not sure I see a compelling reason to give him important minutes down the stretch, especially if he's unlikely to return next season. Besides, we all remember his defense before he destroyed his knee, right?
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