Josh Richardson is a name Miami Heat fans remember as a part of their young core up until 2019 when he was traded. Four years later, he's back with the team and ready to play a significant role.

After he was initially traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in which Miami acquired Jimmy Butler, he would spend his future with four other teams before returning in free agency to the franchise that drafted him in 2015. It's safe to say he's had a tumultuous NBA career, spending time with the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Richardson reuniting with Heat

However, his return to the Heat seemed like it was going to happen at some point. Richardson told ClutchPoints that he had a feeling he'd be back.

“In the back of my mind, yes, but I gotta be professional so I enjoyed every stop,” Richardson said. “But when the opportunity came up, he [Erik Spoelstra] called me and was like ‘This is what I told you about,' so we had a conversation and now we're here in training camp.”

Erik Spoelstra wanted J-Rich back

For head coach Erik Spoelstra, he said this week at training camp that the idea of bringing back players the team developed from the jump is always the goal.

“Usually when we spend so much time developing a player we hope that the relationship will transcend the transaction eventually, we do try to bring guys back. Sometimes it doesn't work out, it's a tough business,” Spoelstra said. “And frankly, I wasn't thinking that we'd get him back this soon. Great timing, serendipitous for us. I'm just grateful that we were able to pick him up where we did.”

In terms of how Richardson gels with the team, Spoelstra expressed that he fits right in, even after all these years later.

“He's a great two way player. When he left us he was one of the best perimeter defenders in the league,” Spoelstra added. “Now that he is healthy, I think he's gonna have an opportunity to do that again. Multi positional offensively, which is important to how we play.”

What's changed about Josh Richardson?

In the span of the four years Richardson has been away from the Heat, he has matured and become more vocal, as well as more adaptive to what the game brings to him. With those traits and his ability as a solid two-way player, he'll produce right away.

Despite himself, another familiar face is former teammate Wayne Ellington, now as a player development coach. Richardson said that it's reassuring to see him back and that it could prove beneficiary for the team.

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“It's cool to be able to work with a coach that when he came here, I was already here. So the transformation that he made himself into one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the NBA, I got to watch it,” Richardson added. “So just being able to work with him every day and take all the advice that he gives me, it's great.”

One of his teammates from his last stint in Miami is star Bam Adebayo, who said to ClutchPoints this week at training camp that it's huge to have a player on the team that was there when he first started.

“He was on the team my rookie year when I was got here, him in Wayne Ellington, which is hilarious,” Adebayo said. “So I got a couple of my guys back to help understand the standard and explain to the young guys on what it's like being here, what it's about to be like and then you go out there and hoop.”

Josh Richardson is expected to get some playing time back in a Miami uniform next Tuesday in the Heat's first preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets.