Michigan State freshman guard Jase Richardson (11) heads to the bench during the Big Ten conference tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on March. 14, 2025. Michigan State secured a victory, advancing to the next round of the tournament.
After an impressive freshman season, averaging 12.1 points a game in the Spartans’ March Madness run, Jase Richardson is projected to land outside of the first 14 picks with two days left until the draft.
Richardson’s best moments in East Lansing came when he took control of the game through his leadership. Shot creation and play-making were specialties for the guard who averaged 41% from beyond the arc.
Every year, the NBA invites draft hopefuls to the draft green room, a sign that a player will likely be drafted in the first round. Richardson, despite being slated in the mid-teens, was not invited.
The Athletic’s David Aldridge released anonymous quotes from NBA executives and college coaches regarding Richardson's draft prospect.
"They claim he played point guard a lot in high school. Because if he can mimic the one like Jalen Brunson, he played point and he had some leadership skills. But he was more of a scoring guard than a point guard," a Western Conference executive said. "I think it just depends where he ends up. He can shoot, and I like the pedigree. I wouldn’t be surprised either way."
An anonymous college assistant coach didn’t share the same optimism about Richardson in the NBA.
"I don’t think he’s quite ready. It’s one of those cases where he had too good of a year to go back. Strike while the iron’s hot. But he’s not ready for the NBA. He’s going to spend 95 percent of his time next season in the G League. He just doesn’t know how to play."
"The reason he’s leaving is he has to leave," they said. "It’s not because he’s ready to leave. He has to leave, unfortunately. Because they’re going to draft him. They’re going to draft Jase Richardson. … It’s going to take another year or two before he can help a team, even the bad ones."
In a mock draft following the end of the NCAA Tournament, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo tabbed Richardson at the No. 14 spot to the Atlanta Hawks.
CBS Sports released its most recent mock draft on Sunday, following the trade of Kevin Durant. The Oklahoma City Thunder were projected to draft Richardson with the No. 15 pick.
Multiple sites have pegged Richardson as a good fit for the Thunder with a solid three-point shot and energy on defense that could keep up with on of the league's best backcourts. And with a rising payroll after an NBA finals appearance, a rookie contract would relieve lots of financial stress.
The NBA draft is set for Wednesday, June 25 at 8:00 p.m. on ABC and ESPN.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
