The Miami Heat did a good job retaining their own players this offseason. Dion Waiters and James Johnson stayed in town, leaving little turnover for a team that just missed out on the playoffs. Next up on the extension schedule: Josh Richardson. The shooting guard became eligible for an extension on August 3, two years after he signed his current deal with the team. According to a report, the team is interested in offering Richardson that extension.
Richardson getting an extension?
The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson first suggested that the team would be interested in extending the guard.
Richardson is still a young player, but he has shown potential to be a rotational piece for an NBA team. Last season, he averaged 10.2 points per game in 53 contests. He also averaged 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists. By the end of the season, Richardson was playing major minutes for the Heat.
The shooting guard was drafted out of Tennessee in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft. He was an All-SEC player for the Volunteers and became known as someone who can play really strong defense. The biggest disappointment of his sophomore season, however, was the demise of his ability to shoot the three ball, seeing his three-point percentage drop by 13.1%. That's something the Heat probably hope Richardson works on this summer.
Why the Heat could be reluctant
After re-signing him to a lucrative extension this summer, Dion Waiters is now the shooting guard of the present and future for the Heat. There's nothing wrong with having a competent shooting guard behind him - especially considering the injury concerns that have dogged Waiters during his career.
The price point for keeping Richardson, however, may not be worth keeping him around.
Jackson's report claims that the Heat are in line to offer a contract along the lines of four years and $42 million. Assuming an average salary of $10.5 million, Richardson's annual hit would fall in line with the top 25 players at the position, more than some of the starters in the league, including San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Danny Green, Detroit Pistons shooting guard Avery Bradley, and Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Andre Roberson (courtesy of Spotrac).
That's just too high of a price to pay for someone in a backup role. If Richardson can improve his three-point shooting this season, however, the Heat are probably willing to give him that deal anyways.
