The Miami Heat understand that investing in their players allows a core to grow from within, but I’m not buying in just yet.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported yesterday that Miami Heat management agreed to sign Josh Richardson to a four-year, $42 million contract extension. Richardson is a player that has shown flashes in his two seasons in an NBA uniform, but this is a bit early for that kind of investment.
The 23-year old had a rough go last season, in large part due to a partially torn MCL before training camp and then a left foot sprain that hampered him in the meat of the season, as Hoops Habit’s Simon Smith touched on earlier this week. Unfortunately for Richardson, that can happen during a long NBA campaign.
He shot only 39.4 percent from the field in 2016-17 and just 33.0 percent from three, an essential part of his game. If he’s going to be a viable starter from this point forward, he’ll have to be much more efficient to warrant that extension. That said, he’s a stretchy tweener who stands at 6-6, and he’s shown flashes of being able to play both sides of the ball consistently.
Throwback: The First Wild Day of The NBA’s Offseason
With the investment put in Richardson’s shooting, that would imply he’s the starter over 2015 first-round pick Justise Winslow, right Pat Riley? One would have to think so, considering Winslow has not proven to be much of an offensive threat yet at this point in his young career. It will be a crucial year for him as well, and he’s coming off a season in which injuries only allowed him to appear in 18 games. (He still finished the season shooting just 35.6 percent.)
The way Miami uses these two third-year wings next season will be indicative of what’s to come. Richardson’s deal was not the only cash that the Heat shelled out this summer. Miami is betting big on former Boston Celtics rotational big Kelly Olynyk, too, as they signed him to a four-year, $50 million deal, per Woj.
That move was a head-scratcher, as Olynyk does not really project as a starting forward. He’s a decent role player on a good team, but does one quality Game 7 performance warrant that big of a deal? I don’t think so, and even though that kind of cash isn’t what it used to be with today’s NBA contract scale, it’s still a lot for a mostly unproven player.
The only deals that were that made sense were for Dion Waiters and Tyler Johnson. Between the two of them, the Heat invested $102 million, according to Spotrac. Both of those players are coming off career seasons, but it’s a bit funny to think management low-balled the best player in franchise history, Dwyane Wade, and gave players like Richardson and Olynyk nearly $100 million.
Also Read: Tracy McGrady Will Always Be On The NBA’s All-What If Team
If the Miami Heat are content with maybe getting to the second round of the playoffs in the East for the foreseeable future, as a best case scenario, then great for them. Maybe they’ll eventually develop these young pieces into All-Star caliber players.
Call me crazy, but I just don’t see these rotational guys being world-beaters. Of course, I could be wrong. We shall see.
Follow me on Twitter