Jase Richardson’s dream is on the verge of becoming reality.
The standout guard left Michigan State after one season for the NBA draft and is projected to come off the board during the first round on Wednesday night.
“He’s a lottery pick, I think,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said on a conference call last week while picking Richardson to come off the board roughly between 12 and 16. “He’s in the lottery range.”
Richardson is the son of former Michigan State All-American and NBA star Jason Richardson, who was selected No. 5 overall by Golden State in 2001 after his sophomore year.
Although Richardson didn’t arrive in East Lansing with one-and-done hype, the freshman emerged as the team’s top player down the stretch last season. He averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 36 games with 15 starts and helped the Spartans to a Big Ten title and trip to the Elite Eight.
After declaring for the draft, which coach Tom Izzo encouraged, Richardson participated in the NBA draft combine in May. He was measured at 6-foot-0.5 without shoes and 178 pounds – with an impressive 6-6 wingspan – after being listed at 6-3 by Michigan State.
“Size and strength are the knocks on him but he’s only 19 years old,” Bilas said. “I think he’s going to continue to get better but he’s got a lot of positives, especially on the offensive end. He’s fearless taking the ball to the basket, just fearless.”
The first round of the 2025 NBA draft starts at 8 p.m. on Wednesday (ABC/ESPN) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn with the second and final round on Thursday. Richardson was not among the 24 players invited to sit in the green room during the draft but could still follow in his father’s footsteps as a lottery pick. Here’s a roundup of where Richardson appears in the latest mock drafts:
ESPN
Pick: No. 25 to Orland Magic
“Richardson is the highest-ranked player (No. 18) on the ESPN big board not to get invited to the NBA draft green room (24 players invited), leaving some uncertainty about where he might end up being selected. His draft range starts around No. 16 with Memphis, which has drafted several players in the past few years with similar statistical profiles and might end up having a backcourt void to fill soon, all the way to the mid-20s portion of the first round. The Magic are another team that could look to add shooting and backcourt depth and might be intrigued by Richardson’s scoring efficiency, defensive intensity and ability to play without the ball.” – Jonathan Givony
The Athletic
The pick: No. 21 to Utah Jazz
“Richardson is a good bet from a talent perspective. Over his final 15 games, he averaged 16.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists versus only 0.7 turnovers. The reason those games are important is that’s the moment when Richardson entered the starting lineup after a terrific first half of the season. Richardson has great touch as a shooter and scorer but is still developing his lead guard skills. He’s not that great of a passer, and he’s not good with his right hand. Most of Michigan State’s actions involved getting the ball into his left hand and putting him in advantageous actions. The Jazz are in a space where they should just acquire talent, and Richardson is certainly that. His range is considered quite wide on draft night, anywhere from the No. 16 down to the end of the first round. Richardson’s father, Jason, and Suns’ owner Mat Ishbia have been friends for over 25 years; they came to Michigan State as freshmen in 1999.” – Sam Vecenie
Yahoo! Sports
The pick: No. 20 to Miami Heat
“Richardson is a skilled combo guard with a lethal midrange game and a poised pick-and-roll feel, looking like he downloaded the experience of his NBA veteran father, Jason Richardson. Jase didn’t inherit his father’s height or dunk contest athleticism, though, so his smaller stature could cap his upside. Tyler Herro and Richardson could share creation responsibilities in the Miami backcourt, and Bam Adebayo would have another two-man-game partner to work with.” – Kevin O’Connor
The Ringer
Pick: No. 25 to Orlando Magic
“Coming away from this draft with a prototypical modern two-way wing like Nique Clifford while also adding a versatile on/off-ball scoring guard like Richardson would be a nice palate cleanse after a frustrating, injury-ravaged season. Bringing in a smaller player who requires defensive protection could be a bad idea for a team that prioritizes that end of the floor, but Richardson’s length aids him on defense, and the facilitation from Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner means the Magic will only rely on him for rock-solid shooting and additive playmaking once (or if) the ball gets moving. He’s proved himself dependable enough to do both.” – J. Kyle Mann
USA TODAY
The pick: No. 19 to Brooklyn Nets
“Richardson improved as the season progressed and turned into the Spartans’ steady hand with the basketball as a shooter (inside and out) and facilitator. He is an active defender with surprising bouts of athleticism. He also has a knack for collecting rebounds, big plays and poise under pressure. He had an up-and-down NCAA Tournament in four games – 5-for-11 shooting and 15 points against Bryant, 1-for-10 shooting against New Mexico, 20 points on 6-for-8 shooting against Ole Miss, and 4-for-13 shooting against Auburn.”
CBS Sports
The pick: No. 25 to Orlando Magic
“Orlando could use two things here – backcourt depth and shooting and Richardson checks both of those boxes. An undersized lefty combo who was a versatile and efficient scoring threat last year for Michigan State, he has on/off ball versatility, can score at various levels within the flow of the game and is a high processor. As he builds up his body and further develops his right hand, he’ll continue to ascend.” – Adam Finkelstein