Ranking 3 recently named Utah Jazz trade targets

Utah Jazz Trade Target #2: Josh Richardson

Here, we’ll transition from a player who makes no sense for the Utah Jazz, to one that makes barely enough sense.

Josh Richardson is an extremely solid NBA contributor. He’s just not the kind of needle mover that Jazz fans are probably hoping to acquire. Having said that, he ticks several of the boxes the team should need in order to target a player.

Richardson’s three-point accuracy has been inconsistent throughout his NBA career. Fortunately for the Jazz, it’s trending in the right direction in 2021-22. Richardson is canning 40.0% of his 3.6 three-point attempts per contest.

As a career 36.2% three-point shooter, this is the second time Richardson has surpassed the elite 40% mark. He’s also never dipped below 30%.

He certainly fits the three-point shooting requirement. He’s also a solid defender, as demonstrated by his 0.9 DBPM this season. So, why isn’t he a perfect fit for the Utah Jazz?

Well, the team would probably prefer a bigger wing. Richardson is listed as a shooting guard whose secondary position is small forward. The ideal prototype for the Jazz is probably a small forward whose secondary position is power forward.

At 6’5, Richardson is the same height as Royce O’Neale. An ideal target for the Jazzmen would probably be a larger wing who can alleviate O’Neale’s responsibility of guarding the league’s larger wings. That will remain his job if Richardson joins the club.

Josh Richardson is a solid NBA player. He’d be a solid addition to the Utah Jazz. The next target on Fastbreak’s list would just be a comfortably better one.