2017 NBA free agency grades: J.J. Redick to join Philadelphia 76ers

J.J. Redick has decided to Trust the Process, agreeing to sign a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2017 NBA free agency.

Only a few years ago, “Trust the Process” was meant to ridicule the Philadelphia 76ers for their blatant tanking attempts and the lack of fruits being born from Sam Hinkie’s labor.

Now, it’s become a celebration for declaring free agency intentions.

On Saturday afternoon, unrestricted free agent J.J. Redick tweeted a simple “Trust the process” to signal his intent of signing with the Sixers. Moments, later ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the details of agreement: one year, $23 million.

Though Redick is 33 years old and disappeared during the Los Angeles Clippers’ most recent playoff series, this is an absolutely stellar signing for the rebuilding Sixers. A one-year deal is surprising given Redick’s age and the potential desire to cash in on one last lucrative contract, but Philly was able to scoop up the 11-year veteran with a $23 million offer nonetheless.

Not only is Redick a great locker room presence who will instill a sense of professionalism with the 76ers’ young core, but he also provides some much-needed floor-spacing as a three-point sniper. Redick shot 42.9 percent from downtown on 6.0 attempts per game last season, and is a career 41.5 percent shooter from deep.

His ability to move off the ball and come off screens for catch-and-shoot opportunities will open things up for the Sixers’ offense, especially with two capable passers like Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz running the show.

Though both Simmons and Fultz are rookies, Redick’s ability to draw defenders to him will open up driving lanes, especially for Simmons, whose biggest flaw is his lack of a serviceable perimeter shot. Fultz and Simmons were already going to be hard enough to defend with their playmaking setting up a dominant force like Joel Embiid, but throwing the threat of Redick’s three-ball into the mix makes them a downright nightmare.

With a healthy Embiid, the Sixers were a borderline playoff team last season, going 10-5 in the month of January to make the Philadelphia diehards believe their team could be postseason-bound.

The Process’ inability to stay healthy ultimately doomed those faint playoff hopes, but with Embiid and Simmons hopefully healthy, Fultz entering the mix and Redick joining the party, head coach Brett Brown finally has an array of weapons to throw at his opponents.

And all this is before even mentioning Rookie of the Year finalist Dario Saric, the imminent arrival of sharpshooter Furkan Korkmaz and other young pieces like Robert Covington, Richaun Holmes, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Jonah Bolden, Justin Anderson and Sterling Brown.

The Sixers still have a slight Jahlil Okafor problem, but there’s no reason Philly shouldn’t be a playoff team next season. Redick addresses one of the team’s biggest needs in three-point shooting, he’ll be a terrific mentor and locker room leader for the younger guys, and his interest in signing with the 76ers — even on a one-year deal — signals to the rest of the league that Philadelphia is no longer the NBA Siberia where careers go to die.

He won’t make the 76ers anything more than an entertaining playoff team, but think about this: A coveted free agent wanted to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.

“Trust the process,” Redick tweeted on Saturday. For the first time in a long time, that phrase is a confident affirmation of price in Sixers basketball rather than a joke, and with this sharpshooter signing on for a one-year deal, the Process is definitely looking trustworthy.

Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

Grade: A+