Report From Orlando: Magic Likely To Match Redick Offer

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel says the Magic will likely keep J.J. Redick:

As of Thursday afternoon, Smith hasn’t prepared key players in the franchise about other free-agent options at the NBA minimum to take Redick’s place.

The Magic can not replace Redick with a player who makes what he will make with the Bulls.

The club only will have a minimum exception, starting at $1.3 million, and the biannual exception at about $2 million.

And you would think by now that if another option to Redick was the course of action, other members of the organization would have heard about it.

From what I have been able to gather, Smith will match for Redick because he wants to protect the asset as he did in the case of another restricted free agent, center Marcin Gortat, and he doesn’t want to lose Redick to an East rival.

Back to the drawing board for Gar Forman & Co.