Pros & Cons of Spurs Keeping Josh Richardson
The San Antonio Spurs have some tough decisions to make as the 2022-23 season approaches.
None may be more challenging than deciding what to do with Josh Richardson.
The 28-year-old is set to enter his first full season with the team after arriving in February last season in the trade that sent former Spur Derrick White to the Boston Celtics.
As San Antonio continues to dive deeper into its rebuild, a veteran like Richardson may not be a part of the bigger picture, though there's some value he could bring if the Spurs decide to retain him.
Let's look at some pros and cons of the team keeping Richardson next season:
Pro: Veteran leadership
The Spurs just drafted Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley in the first round of June's draft while also having young guards Tre Jones and Josh Primo set to take on more prominent roles this season. Throw 22-year-old Devin Vassell into this mix too.
Richardson's veteran leadership, combined with his backcourt skillset, would provide some productive teaching lessons for some of the Spurs best up-and-comers.
While veteran advice is positionless and can transcend throughout a locker room, Richardson's ability to take Branham, Wesley, and Primo under his wing for an entire season next year could do wonders for their development. Though these three and Richardson all have different skill sets, their shared position as guards will allow for a smoother learning process.
Branham and Wesley will likely be coming back and forth between G League time Austin and San Antonio. Still, they will spend tons of valuable time in the Spurs' facility with Richardson and the team's best coaches.
Their behind-the-scenes time with a guy like Richardson could be something we see play a significant factor down the line should he remain with the team.
Con: He's set to enter unrestricted free agency
One of the important reasons against keeping Richardson is that he'll enter unrestricted free agency next offseason as his one-year, $12.2 million contract ends. They may look to extend him if he's part of the Spurs' plans.
But if not, the smartest option would be to trade him as soon as possible. Richardson is still a highly valuable offensive piece, meaning the Spurs could look to trade him to a contender while getting a draft pick or potentially a young player in return.
Letting him walk next offseason for nothing would be a worst-case scenario for the team. Even though Richardson has played for four different teams in three years, his trade value shouldn't be understated for a contending team that could use his services for a one-year rental on the path toward a postseason run.
The con of keeping him will turn into a pro for the Spurs if they play their cards right. But not signing him to an extension or missing out on the opportunity to trade him before the in-season trade deadline would be a huge missed chance at receiving some draft or youthful value in return.
Pro: All-around offense
Outside of Keldon Johnson and Vassell, Richardson could potentially be the team's third-leading scorer as he enters his first entire season with the team. In just 21 games and seven starts with the Spurs, Richardson averaged 11.4 points and 2.3 assists.
As expected from a player who averaged 16.6 points and started all 73 games for the Miami Heat in 2018-19, Richardson displayed an all-natural feel on the offensive end in limited action with the Spurs last season.
He had some slow starts but was overall quite productive as a catch-and-shoot threat, an attacker in the paint, and an underrated passer. The shooting was a known strength of his, as he made 44.4 percent of his looks from 3-point range. This number would likely be lower on season-long sample size, but it's a positive sign of the production he's capable of continuing.
Richardson's willingness to be an extra-pass distributor flashed at times, as he showed poise when taking his defender into the paint off the closeout before swinging it to the open corner or wing when the help came. Plays like this are essential for team-wide success while also helping the young players get some confidence-boosting looks.
Plus, he's arguably the team's best pure 3-point shooter alongside Doug McDermott. This won't be easily replaceable.
Con: Potential of taking away valuable reps from youth
While his presence can undoubtedly benefit a young Spurs roster, one can argue that his place could have an equally unintentional negative effect on the growth of these players.
Players like Jones, Primo, and Vassell are already proving significant contributors this season. However, adding Richardson could take backcourt minutes away from Wesley, Branham, and Joe Wieskamp.
The Spurs may not want to rush this process. But on a team already expected to be near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, it wouldn't hurt the rebuilding effort to have Wesley and Branham be thrown into the fire early and make some early mistakes, which, as a result, would help spark their development.
Of course, the rookies will likely spend ample time in the G League with the Austin Spurs. But as we saw with Primo last season - who appeared in 50 games despite the notion he'd spend almost all of the season in Austin - the team could start giving the new youngsters some valuable NBA playing time to help them grow.
Having Richardson in the picture during all this would help with the current on-court production, but it might not be in the best interest of the long-term success of the team.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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