Why Mavs Should Explore Trade for Spurs' Josh Richardson
The Dallas Mavericks (21-16) have won seven straight games and have jumped up to fourth-place in the Western Conference.
This current winning streak has been done all while the Mavs have been without Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Green, and Maxi Kleber due to injury.
Finney-Smith is dealing with a right hip adductor, which Jason Kidd said on Dec. 27 would leave DFS on the shelf for at least two more weeks. Green's sprained elbow has kept him out since Dec. 9 with no timetable for return, and Kleber could be out for the remainder of the season with a torn hamstring that required surgery.
With the uncertainty of when both Finney-Smith and Green will return to the lineup, Dallas could explore a trade to acquire some much-needed wing depth in their absence to help with a potential playoff run.
How about former Maverick and current San Antonio Spur Josh Richardson as an option?
Dallas acquired Richardson in Nov. 2020 in a draft-night trade with the Philadelphia 76ers for in exchange for Seth Curry. Richardson averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game on just 33 percent from downtown in his sole season in Dallas before being traded to the Boston Celtics in July 2021. Richardson's time in Dallas wasn't the best, but to be fair, coach Jason Kidd is probably a better fit for him than Rick Carlisle was.
So far this season in San Antonio, Richardson is averaging 10.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists on 35.2 percent from 3-point range. Those aren't eye-popping stats by any means, but given Richardson's ability to handle the ball, he'd provide value to the Mavs' bench until.
One idea the Mavs might want to explore is sending Davis Bertans, a player the Spurs are familiar with, as he played with them from 2106-2019, and two future second-round picks to San Antonio in exchange for Richardson.
Richardson would add another quality versatile guard/wing for Kidd's rotation, as the veteran is an above average perimeter defender who can knock down 3s and facilitate on the offensive end at a decent clip.
With San Antonio near the bottom of the Western Conference, the expectation is that they'll be looking to ship off veterans such as Richardson in hopes to increase their chances of landing a top pick in the 2023 NBA draft.
Acquiring Bertans, who spent the first three years of his career in San Antonio, isn't necessarily ideal with two years, $33 million remaining, but offering the Spurs some draft capital could do the trick. It should also be noted that only $5 million of Bertans' final contract year in 2024-25 is guaranteed.
Though Richardson's first stint in Dallas was underwhelming, a fresh start with a new roster, coaching staff, and role could be a trade-worthy match.
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