Tennessee basketball: Trade to spurs should make Josh Richardson a starter again

Josh Richardson is about to play for his fifth team in four years. The former Tennessee basketball shooting guard was traded from the Boston Celtics to the San Antonio Spurs for Derrick White. With this move, he should become a starter again.

This was the first year in which Richardson was relegated to the bench. He has played 44 games and is averaging 24.7 minutes a game, but as a backup, he’s averaging under double figures for the first time since his rookie year in the NBA.

Boston has had no room for Richardson to start with Jaylen Brown in the lineup. As a result, he has been a backup for them along with former Tennessee basketball forward Grant Williams. They trading Richardson to San Antonio along with Romeo Langford and a first round draft pick, according to multiple reports.

With the Spurs giving up White, they now have an opening at the two guard position. Richardson is out right now, but that opening is for him to occupy once he returns. Dejounte Murray locks up the point guard spot, Keldon Johnson and Jakob Poeltl occupy the post, and Doug McDermott is clearly more of a wing.

That leaves Devin Vasell, Lonnie Walker IV, Langford and Richardson to be able to compete for that two spot. In Boston, Richardson was already ahead of Langford, so that’s settled. Also, Vasell and Walker don’t bring the defensive presence Richardson brings on the perimeter at 6’5″ 200 pounds, which is key to complementing McDermott.

As a result, Richardson should return to what he had been doing before he went to Boston. From the time of Dwyane Wade’s retirement to last year, Richardson was a starter. That included three years with the Miami Heat, one year with the Philadelphia 76ers and one year with the Dallas Mavericks. He was a solid scorer and defender during that time.

Now, he’s going to a great situation in San Antonio where he should see more action and he can help the franchise grow again. These trades put the Spurs in solid position to begin to rebuild and become contenders within the next couple years. With at least one more year on his contract, the Spurs have to be somewhat invested again.

This trade makes for both Tennessee basketball guards who are defensive specialists being traded this year. Rookie Keon Johnson was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. Johnson was a one-and-done for UT, while Richardson was a four-year guy. Both are in better situations now, though.