Jace Richardson is expected to be the second son of an NBA player who will be drafted in the top 10 of the 2025 NBA Draft.
If you had nickel for all the sons of the former NBA player who was expected to be drafted in the top ten of the 2025 draft, there are two nickels, which isn’t that much, but it’s odd to happen twice.
Ron’s son, Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, is expected to be the second pick after Cooper Flag. Michigan Spartan Jace Richardson is the son of MSU legend and Fringe All-Star Jason, who will be in the top 10 after being selected to the All-Big 10 team in his freshman season.
Richardson is an explosive security guard who has the tools to succeed at the next level. He’s not certain, but he’s one of the great players loaded in the 2025 draft.
- Age/Date of Birth: 19 (October 15, 2005)
- Nationality: America
- Height/Weight: 6ft 3, 185lbs
- University: Michigan State Spartan
- Career Statistics: 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steel, 49.3 FG%, 41.2 3pt%
- NCAA Tournament Statistics: 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steel, 38.1 FG%, 41.2 3pt%
- Career highest: 29 points (vs. Oregon), 8 rebounds (vs. Maryland), 8 assists (vs. Minnesota)
- NBA comparison: RIP Hamilton
Richardson makes the ball faster when he wants to be, but he’s smart enough to make the defender bigger and move with the ball responsibly. He has the touch and footwork to get to the rim despite not having an insane athletic ability at just 6 feet 3, but he can get over even bigger defenders.
He is a solid scorer, proven by his 3-point range from his elite 41.2% mark, but he took low capacity 3.2 shots per game. However, as a starter, Richardson scored 4.6 shots from deep per game. Volume is improved in the NBA.
In defense, he can speed up his hands and confuse the ball handler, but he has no reach to steal. Still, he makes life difficult and encourages ball handlers to give up rocks early on in their possessions.
He probably isn’t a major facilitator, but he can score on pick-and-rolls and make big names. So you need to thrive as a secondary guard in the NBA at least as a high-level role player similar to the small Derrick White.
Shooting rates are difficult to ignore, and if he continues to throw rocks in the NBA, he will have a long career.
His lack of size as a shooting guard is hard to ignore, but he doesn’t have the handle or pass vision to become the only playmaker on the offensive end. He can hit catch and shoot 3 very well, but his abilities lack from deep dancing and dancing at his boundaries.
If he is asked to create his own, expect him to find a way to rim or midrange instead of hitting the stepback.
With only 14.9% of his three-point attempts in his freshman season not being supported, Richardson shows he needs to play as a true point guard.
In 2002 and 2003, Jason won the dunk contest. Jace doesn’t have the athletic ability to do that, but he is a more versatile scorer. His father averaged 19.3 points at his peak in his seven seasons from 2004 to 2010. The ceilings on the Jase are basically the same, but I expect the scores to be different.
Assuming Richardson hopes to create a starting lineup for the team that drafted him, he may have to expect trade. He will do the best job next to a truly oversized point guard who can find him on the horns and cover him with defense.
If he is placed in an ideal situation, he could become a high-level role-playing guard offering the edge of victory.
The Los Angeles Clippers are perfect as they are next to the Los Angeles Lakers, especially Lukadon Sic, if they continue to use Kawi Leonard as their primary ball handler.
However, the Clippers only own the Thunder picks, and Richardson may not be on the board when the LA team chooses. That means someone has to trade up for him.
As long as there is a trade, the best fit may be the most romantic: the Detroit Piston.
Jason was born in Saginaw and both Richardsons named themselves in East Lansing.
With Jaden Ivey’s future uncertainty, there could be an off-ball open in Detroit, especially once Malik Beasley enters free agency.
The piston has an extra large point guard and The threat of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart’s LOB allows Richardson to become his home hero. He was compared to Rip Hamilton for a reason he won the title with the Pistons in 2005.