Mavericks' Josh Richardson was 'Unlikely' to Return to Sixers Next Season
Last month, the Philadelphia 76ers traded away two starters as Daryl Morey took over as the team's President of Basketball Operations. Veteran big man Al Horford became the first domino to fall hours before the 2020 NBA Draft.
As Horford's fit in Philly was odd, and his contract was expensive, the 76ers knew they had to move on before the 2020-2021 season got started. He wasn't the only one out the door through the trade market, though.
During the second round of the draft, Morey struck another deal, but with the Dallas Mavericks. The 76ers packaged a second-round pick and veteran guard Josh Richardson in exchange for Seth Curry.
Although Richardson's stint with the Sixers went a lot better than Horford's, that doesn't mean Richardson was exactly sold on a future in Philadelphia. Next season, the 27-year-old guard has a player-option attached to his contract. He can either stay with his current team and earn over $11 million next season. Or, he can hit the free agency market to seek a long-term deal elsewhere.
Whether Richardson plans to stay in Dallas for next season or not is unclear, but his feelings towards a future in Philly might've led to him getting traded before the 2020-2021 season even got started. According to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, Richardson's representatives made it clear to the Sixers that they should "have discussions" regarding trades involving Richardson.
“When Josh was traded [by Miami] to Philadelphia, it was an awkward fit for him just because of the composition of the team,” said Richardson's agent, Bill Duffy. “Josh has an opt-out after this year, so Erik and I were pretty candid with Philly that it was pretty unlikely he’d return, ‘So maybe you should have discussions.’”
While Richardson fit in well with the Sixers from a locker room standpoint as he stepped up and became a vocal leader for the team last season, it was clear his on-court fit wasn't ideal. The veteran guard was coming off of a season where he averaged 16 points-per-game while hitting 35-percent of his threes with an average of six attempts-per-game with the Miami Heat.
In Philly, Richardson saw his numbers take a dip. Last season, he averaged just 13 points-per-game, hitting 34-percent of his threes, taking two fewer attempts-per-game. Based on a small sample size, Richardson already looks like a much better fit in Dallas than he was in Philly. When the trade first went down, Richardson seemed more than content with a change of scenery. Now, we know why.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
