The Dallas Mavericks added two new pieces to the team at the trade deadline. We’ve seen one - to great fan acclaim - in Nicoló Melli’s debut against the OKC Thunder. The other, JJ Redick - arguably the centerpiece of the entire trade - is still rehabbing a foot injury and has yet to join the team, let alone play in a game. The combined with a quizzical press conference from Donnie Nelson left fans with more questions than answers.
In an interview after the trade, Nelson said about Redick “I think the preference would have been—in a buy-out situation—to be able to pick his location, but it didn’t happen like that,” before following up that, despite his playing situation not going according to plan, the he believed Redick was excited to join the Mavs.