Former MSU Star Jase Richardson's Orlando Magic Outlook
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Former Michigan State guard Jase Richardson parlayed a surprisingly successful freshman season into a first-round selection in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Now a member of the Orlando Magic, Richardson has a chance to be a serious contributor for one of the top Eastern Conference contenders.
The Magic are expected to compete for the conference, not only because they are a talented, up-and-coming team, but also due to multiple other Eastern Conference contenders suffering injuries to major contributors.
Whatever the reason may be, Richardson has the chance to earn significant minutes for Orlando this upcoming season.
Richardson likely won’t win Rookie of the Year as long as Cooper Flagg stays healthy for the Dallas Mavericks, but he could earn first-team All-Rookie honors with a good season.
He is a composed, mature player for his age, which likely endeared the Magic to him. He made good on that belief during Summer League, averaging 16.5 points per game on nearly 56 percent from the field and hitting half of his three-point attempts.
The Magic needed an outside shooter like Richardson, as they struggled to connect on many deep shots last season. Orlando shot 26.3 percent from 3-point range in the postseason, the worst by any team.
Richardson may already be the team’s best outside shooter, and for that reason, he should be heavily in the rotation during his rookie season.
The Magic do not have many guards who can create their own shot and facilitate like Richardson can. He should push for a starting role and have a good shot at dethroning Anthony Black or Jalen Suggs, as he is a much better offensive player than both guards.
While Richardson is much smaller than a lead guard should be, the Magic are an elite defensive team, so they will not rely on him to take on too much defensive responsibility.
MSU fans will miss Richardson making shots and defending well in East Lansing, but he made the right decision, capitalizing on his excellent season.
Tom Izzo encouraged him to pursue an opportunity at the next level, and Richardson took full advantage.
Now, Spartan fans will enjoy seeing Richardson ball out in the NBA.
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Carter Landis studied journalism at Michigan State University, where I graduated in May of 2022. He is currently a sports reporter for a local television station and is a writer covering the Michigan State Spartans