Former Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson spent four seasons with the team until being dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers in the blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade a month ago.
On Friday, Richardson was asked on social media about the saddest aspect of the deal.
While Richardson didn’t specify exactly who those friends were, it’s likely a mix of former Heat teammates and locals he came to know during his relatively brief time in Miami.
When he was drafted by the Heat in 2015, Richardson didn’t arrive in South Florida as a lock to even make the team. That’s because he was selected in the second round as the 40th overall pick, but he managed to make a big enough impact to stay with the team and develop into a building block for the future.
In his rookie season, Richardson averaged just 6.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per games, seeing action in 52 games and averaging just 21.3 minutes per contest. By last year, he started in all 73 of the games he played in and averaged 34.8 minutes of action per game. In those contests, he averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds.
Richardson, who turns 26 next month, was considered a key to the deal with the Sixers. He had also been discussed in trade talks last year when a similar acquisition for Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves came close to becoming reality.
That growing stature may make Richardson a key component of the 76ers’ drive to win an NBA title. Yet even as he works hard to make that happen, it’s clear that he’s left a piece of his heart in Miami.