After a hot start to the year, the San Antonio Spurs have cooled off, losing seven straight games. That unfortunate 180-degree turn has had more to do with injuries than the team itself, which has a nice blend of up-and-coming players and skilled veterans. One of those veterans, Josh Richardson, is among the league’s best 3-and-D players and is thought to be available.
After all, he’s 29 and a soon-to-be unrestricted free agent, meaning that he likely doesn’t have a future with the team. The Spurs also have another reason to trade him: he could be worth at least a first-round pick, which is especially valuable to a rebuilding team.
The San Antonio Spurs may have found a taker for Josh Richardson.
Trading Richardson sooner rather than later would make the Spurs even worse, increasing their chances of finishing with one of the three worst records in the NBA. That would give them a 25% chance at the first or second pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and either Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson.
While the Spurs aren’t ones to tank, they appear to be taking their foot off the pedal by having a couple of rotation players seemingly sit each game with random ailments. Additionally, as they sink further and further in the standings, the odds that they make a trade appear increasingly likely.
In fact, according to a report, the Miami Heat could try to trade for Richardson, who started his career with the team. A Richardson reunion makes sense because of his two-way ability and relatively cheap contract, which makes it easier to match salaries in a trade.
What could a trade between the two teams look like?
As far as possible trades go, the Miami Heat have reportedly been shopping shooter Duncan Robinson. A Robinson-for-Richardson swap is the easiest way for the two teams to match salaries. That said, the Spurs might be hesitant to take Robinson back in a deal considering his contract.
Robinson is owed $57.3 million over the next three seasons, and he is currently having a poor season, which is probably the reason why the Heat may be looking to offload him. Despite that, he is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league, with a career shooting percentage of 40.2% on 7.6 attempts per game.
If the Spurs are confident that he could bounce back playing in San Antonio, then they may agree to a deal, so long as Miami also includes a future first-round pick. Based on the Dejounte Murray trade, the Spurs appear to prefer receiving picks that are further out, with light protections, and a 2026 top-10 protected pick might be enough to get them to agree to a deal.
With Robinson, the Spurs could help rehab his value over the next season or two before possibly flipping him for another first-rounder, much like with Richardson after receiving him and a first-round pick from the Celtics in the Derrick White trade.
Ultimately, Richardson seems likely to be dealt by the February trade deadline, and the Miami Heat could be the team that acquires him. However, a lot depends on whether the San Antonio Spurs value Robinson; if so, then the two teams could agree to a deal.