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MILWAUKEE – On his way out of Orlando, the general manager's words stayed with J.J. Redick: It's nothing personal, Rob Hennigan told him.

"But it is personal," Redick says now.

Perhaps this is a blessing and curse, because professional sports can break a ballplayer's heart this way. Redick's loyal this way. He immerses himself in the franchise's fabric, invests in the community. His two old coaches – Mike Krzyzewski and Stan Van Gundy – still get calls and texts on a regular basis.

"My wife Chelsea and I built a life in Orlando," Redick told Yahoo! Sports. "Listen, there was no anger [over the trade], but there was a little bit of disappointment.

"Part of me wishes I could've been there my whole career and been part of the rebuilding, part of the turnaround, and gotten back to the finals in my 11th or 12th year. That's the romantic in me, the idealist."

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And the pragmatist stood on the Bradley Center floor on Monday night – delivering two immense baskets in the final minutes of regulation and eight straight points to start overtime in a 109-108 victory over Utah – as the winning, the chase for the playoffs, felt like a warm blanket.

With Redick, the Bucks have won four of five games. With the Bucks, Redick is relevant again.

"There's been a number of moments since I've been here – in the fourth quarter, in overtime – where I've thought, 'Man, I missed this,' " Redick says. "And I did.

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"Even in Orlando, in a close game, coming down to the wire, you still think to yourself: 'We're 15-37 or whatever.' "

So far, the vision of Bucks general manager John Hammond has been validated. Redick will be a free agent this summer, and Hammond gambled with the trade for him. As hard as the Bucks tried to get Josh Smith, Redick was the player whom they believed could become their starting shooting guard for years. Brandon Jennings is a restricted free agent, Monta Ellis can opt out of his contract and, almost assuredly, only one of them returns next season.

Milwaukee can't afford to pay the three of them, so Jennings or Ellis will stay, and Milwaukee is prepared to pay Redick as a starting shooting guard. Redick will be in great demand, but make no mistake: To leave the Bucks, he'll have to take less money – probably a lot.

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