The Miami Heat were offered a first-round pick by at least one team in a proposed trade for Josh Richardson earlier this summer, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The team rejected the offer and has expressed no interest in trading their 3-and-D stud, who will start rolling on a four-year, $42 million extension signed last summer.
President Pat Riley has publicly said there are no untouchables on his roster, but the team hasn't displayed an inclination to trade point guard Goran Dragic, or newly added centers Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo.
The Heat have stuck to their guns and chosen to honor their 2017 offseason signing, keeping forward James Johnson, as well as Justise Winslow, who will become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2018-19 season.
Miami bet on Richardson early on, showing signs of elite marksmanship with an improving 3-point shot, as well as promising length and footwork, which has made him their perimeter defensive specialist — an area of dire need with guys like Dragic and Dion Waiters in the backcourt.
Richardson started all 81 games in which he appeared, putting up career highs across the board, thanks to more ample minutes during his third NBA season. While the 24-year-old got off to a slow start to the season, he picked it up soon enough, finishing the season with 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
The fact that a team offered a first-round pick for Richardson speaks bundles about what his stock is in today's NBA, now under what could be a bargain contract of $10.5 million a year for one of the up-and-coming 3-and-D stars of the game.
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