Getty Former Miami Heat wing Josh Richardson looks on during a game between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks.
The NBA trade deadline has officially come and gone and the Miami Heat have essentially the same roster they did just a few days ago. Outside of dealing forward KZ Okpala to the Thunder for a second-round pick, Miami ultimately opted to stand pat.
Per Heat insider Greg Sylvander, team president Pat Riley was engaged with multiple clubs as the deadline approached, but nothing came to fruition.
Nevertheless, there has been a lot for the South Beach faithful to keep track of as multiple Heat alums found new homes. Justise Winslow was sent from LA to Portland late last week. Then, on deadline day, Goran Dragic‘s expiring deal was acquired by San Antonio.
Dragic — who’s slated to become one of the belles of the buyout ball — wasn’t the only old Heat fave to get traded on deadline day, though. For his part, Josh Richardson looks to have been dealt to his fifth team in four years.
Richardson Also Traded to the Spurs
As reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Celtics are trading Richardson to the Spurs in exchange for guard Derrick White. Meanwhile, Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes indicated that Boston would also be sending guard Romeo Langford and a first-round pick to the Alamo City.
The now 28-year-old Richardson had appeared in 44 games for the Beantowners this season. Along the way, he averaged 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 39.7% from deep as a bench player.
Richardson joins a Spurs team that is led by Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson and Jakob Poeltl. The club is currently 2.5 games out of the play-in range in the West at 20-35 (No. 13 in the conference). He’ll be part of a wing rotation that includes Johnson, Devin Vassell, Lonnie Walker, Langford and Josh Primo.
Although his current deal runs through the end of next season, he may not be in the long-term plans for San Antonio, who look to be chasing assets and cap space.
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Richardson’s Long and Winding Road Continues
After the Heat selected him with the 40th overall pick of the 2015 NBA draft, Richardson went on to play four solid seasons in Miami. His tenure culminated with a 2018-19 campaign that saw him average 16.6 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds per contest.
However, the team elected to include him in the Jimmy Butler trade that summer. And since then, he has struggled to find a new basketball home.
He failed to sustain the same level of productivity in successive one-year stints with the Sixers and Mavericks. And last July, Boston was able to acquire him from the Big D for little more than a middling prospect in big man Moses Brown. Now, he’s on the move again to what could be yet another temporary stay.
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