Philadelphia 76ers: Get ready for the Josh Richardson trade

Be prepared for the Philadelphia 76ers and Josh Richardson to part ways before his contract expires.

A glance at the Philadelphia 76ers’ cap sheet and it’s not hard to prognosticate about Josh Richardson‘s future with the franchise. He has a player option for $11.6 million in 2021-22 — an option he will almost certainly decline, barring a severe, career-altering injury. The Sixers lack capital to retain him.

Unless Elton Brand can defy all logical expectations and clear up the Sixers’ cap sheet, Philadelphia will have virtually no cap space next offseason. While Richardson hits the open market in search of a bigger payday, the Sixers will be saddled by Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and quite possibly Al Horford — all on contract for at least three more seasons.

While Richardson is on a bargain deal for 2020-21 at $10.8 million, what right now seems like an impending departure could drive Philadelphia to trade him. If the Sixers don’t find a way to clear a lane for Richardson to return — if they even want him to return on a more sizable contract — expect Elton Brand (or, perhaps more accurately, ownership and Doc Rivers) to slam the trade market.

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A lot of competitive teams could make use of Richardson. In fact, a lot of them could make better use of him than Philadelphia. While we have yet to see Doc Rivers’ offense at work, Richardson’s fit with the current core is subpar. He’s too hesitant a shooter and too limited a passer to fill the role the Sixers need him to fill.

When the burden of playmaking is removed from Richardson’s shoulders, he’s quite productive as a score-first slasher. He can’t run a ton of pick-and-rolls, he can’t create consistently for teammates, but he can attack the rim, hit pull-up jumpers, and put his stamp on the game in a more limited capacity.

Of course, the Sixers will take into account Richardson’s value on defense. He’s underrated at this point. Richardson was once in the All-Defense discussion with Miami, and he reclaimed his reputation on that end in Philadelphia’s first-round loss to Boston — even if it ultimately had little sway on the series outcome. Richardson is an elite point of attack defender, which allows Ben Simmons to track more physically-imposing wings.

Even so, Richardson’s ill-fitted offense and his inevitable pay raise should put the Sixers on high alert. In fact, it feels predestined. It would genuinely shock me if Richardson wasn’t in a different uniform by the close of next season’s trade deadline. He may even get jettisoned this offseason.

A number of suitors could come calling. The Brooklyn Nets make a great deal of sense. If the Sixers want to avoid trading Richardson in-division, a number of west coast teams could covet his intensity. Think Dallas Mavericks, who need more punch on the wing defensively.

The Sixers can probably squeeze a valuable contributor out of Richardson, or even a first-round pick. Obviously Philadelphia is angling to compete as soon as possible — so Richardson won’t get traded for nothing — but assuming his departure doesn’t irrevocably hinder Philadelphia’s rotation, you can expect a thorough probe of the market. At least, as thorough as we’ve come to expect from this front office.

Richardson is a valuable NBA contributor who deserves far more credit than he received last season. Injuries dragged down Richardson’s individual numbers, while a poor fit caused him to lean on attributes that simply aren’t his strongest. In a new team context, he should remind folks of his talent.