Miami is expected to make an extension offer to Josh Richardson in the upcoming weeks, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Today is the first day Richardson is eligible to sign an extension.
Jackson adds that Richardson, who will turn 24 next month, is expected to consider signing an extension, but the terms will ultimately dictate whether or not he puts pen to paper. The team can give him as many as four years and upwards of $41MM in an offer, though the monetary amount could be slightly higher depending on the salary cap calculation next season.
The shooting guard will become a restricted free agent next summer should he decide to play out his current deal. Miami will have the right to match any offer and as we’ve seen over the last several offseasons, the restricted free agent market can dry up for those who are not at the top of the class. Several RFAs such as Nerlens Noel, Mason Plumlee, and Nikola Mirotic remain unsigned this offseason while the majority of teams have used up their available cap space.
Although Richardson isn’t a star, he’s been a valuable contributor on the Heat when healthy. He played in 53 games for the club last season, posting averages of 10.2 points and 1.1 steals per contest. He was spectacular as a rookie from behind the arc, making 46.1% of his attempts—a figure which bested all rookies that season. However, he came back down to earth last year, knocking down just 33.0% of his shots from downtown.