On Wednesday night, the Orlando Magic selected Jase Richardson, son of Golden State Warriors legend Jason Richardson, 25th overall in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. The six-foot-three guard from Michigan State University was the highest-ranked player (No. 18) on the ESPN big board to not get invited to the NBA Draft green room. Both the NBA and the eight teams that passed on Richardson will soon find out that they missed out on a future star in the late picks of the first round.
Similar to his dad, Jase played with the Spartans ; however, he only stayed one year as opposed to Jason’s two years. Both were instrumental pieces to their team’s success, with Jason winning a National Championship in his second year. Here are their side-by-side career comparisons playing at Michigan State.
Jase Richardson: 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 49.3 percent from the field, and 41.2 percent from three in 36 games played.
Jason Richardson: 9.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 50.3 percent from the field, and 38.3 percent from three in 70 games played.
Jason Richardson played 13 seasons in the NBA after being drafted fifth overall by the Warriors in the 2001 Draft. The high-flying guard also won two Dunk Contests in 2002 and 2003, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2002. Richardson would play for five different teams, most notably with Golden State and Orlando, where he would make the playoffs.
Richardson will look to carve out a bright career in the NBA, as the shifty, left-handed point guard now finds himself on one of the same teams his dad played for 15 years ago. His shooting ability makes him a great fit for the Magic, who were dead last in three-point percentage last year at 31.8 percent.
Orlando had a priority to acquire shooting this offseason to pair alongside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, so they drafted Richardson and traded for Desmond Bane. They also have Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, and Wendell Carter Jr, so Richardson will not be asked to score at a high volume early on.
According to Dan Savage, the Director of Digital News for the Magic, Richardson’s former legendary coach, Tom Izzo, had high praise for the 25th overall pick. Izzo personally messaged Jeff Weltman, Orlando’s president, before the draft, confirming his fit with the team.
(Jase Richardson) is a great player, a better teammate and person. He has a quality that many don’t have anymore, a high basketball IQ. And winning is very important to him.
Even though the offseason hasn’t officially started yet, the Magic’s moves stand out among the rest. Drafting Richardson adds to their list of great offseason moves so far. While he may not live up to his father’s high-flying showmanship, he has all the skills to become a quality NBA player. Also, if he plays his cards right, he can become a rising star on a playoff-ready team.
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