Redick says he was 'very close' to signing with Pacers in free agency

The Philadelphia 76ers were just a few hours away from losing one of their key contributors from last season's playoff run, as JJ Redick nearly left for the Indiana Pacers.

"I almost signed with Indy, I mean I was an hour away, two hours away," Redick said on the most recent edition of his podcast. "I was very close, I had a 5 p.m. deadline and it was basically 12:30-1 o'clock in the afternoon when Philly changed the offer."

The Sixers were able to retain the 34-year-old on a one-year deal, while the Pacers signed Tyreke Evans to a similar one-year contract.

"You know they ended up getting Tyreke, and he's a fantastic player," Redick said.

The 12-year vet was a crucial piece alongside Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid during Philadelphia's unexpected run to the Eastern Conference semi-finals. He should play a similar role during the 2018-19 season after averaging 17.1 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the floor, and 42 percent from 3-point range last year.