Josh Richardson

On June 25, 2015, Richardson was selected with the 40th pick of the 2015 NBA draft by the Miami Heat.[3] On August 3, 2015, he signed with the Heat after averaging 11.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10 summer league games.[4] He failed to appear in the Heat's first four games of the season before making his NBA debut on November 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, playing in just under seven minutes of action.[5] On November 12, in just his third NBA game, Richardson started at shooting guard in place of the absent Dwyane Wade. He subsequently recorded eight points and three rebounds in 20 minutes of action, as the Heat defeated the Utah Jazz 92–91.[6] On December 30, he was assigned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat's D-League affiliate.[7] He was recalled by the Heat on January 3,[8] reassigned on January 5,[9] and recalled again on January 11.[10] On February 24, he recorded his first double-digit game in the NBA, scoring 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting off the bench in a 118–111 loss to the Golden State Warriors.[11] On March 11, he scored a career-high 22 points in a 118–96 win over the Chicago Bulls.[12] On April 5, he was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for March, becoming just the third player in Heat franchise history to win the monthly rookie award; the other two being Caron Butler (four-time recipient in 2002–03) and Michael Beasley (April 2009).[13]

Richardson listening to Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra during a game in 2016

In July 2016, Richardson re-joined the Heat for the 2016 NBA Summer League. On September 9, 2016, he sustained a partially torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee,[14] that sidelined him for six to eight weeks.[15] On December 27, 2016, he tied a career high with 22 points in a 106–94 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.[16]

On September 18, 2017, Richardson signed a four-year, $42 million contract extension with the Heat.[17][18] On December 1, 2017, he scored a career-high 27 points in a 105–100 win over the Charlotte Hornets.[19] On December 16, 2017, he set a new career high with 28 points in a 90–85 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.[20] On February 7, 2018, he had a 30-point effort in a 109–101 loss to the Houston Rockets.[21]

On October 29, he scored a career-high 31 points in a 123–113 loss to the Sacramento Kings.[22] On November 3, he set a new career high with 32 points in a 123–118 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.[23] On February 10, 2019, he scored a career-high 37 points and made eight 3-pointers in a 120–118 loss to the Golden State Warriors.[24] He missed games at the end of the season with heel and groin injuries.[25] Richardson's per-game averages of 16.6 points and 4.1 assists were the highest of his NBA career.[26]

On July 6, 2019, Miami traded Richardson to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a package for Jimmy Butler.[27] On December 12, Richardson scored 14 points in a 115–109 win against the Boston Celtics. Coach Brett Brown called him a "dot connector" and "bridge builder".[28]

On November 18, 2020, Richardson, along with the draft rights to Tyler Bey, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Seth Curry.[29]