Josh Richardson is a potential starter at small forward

Josh Richardson is a guard by trade, but the Miami Heat could start him at small forward next season.

Had the Miami Heat signed Gordon Hayward over the summer, they would have been set at the small forward position. When they didn’t ink Hayward, however, they shifted their attention to acquiring depth. Now the Heat have several options to start at small forward.

There is the incumbent, Rodney McGruder, who started more than 60 games last season. There’s Justise Winslow, the former 10th overall pick and perhaps the most talented of the bunch. And then there is Josh Richardson, who may be a convenient in-between of the skills of McGruder and Winslow.

According to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, Richardson is a serious contender to be Miami’s starting small forward.

"“Though he’s a guard by trade, people around the Heat expect Josh Richardson to emerge as a serious challenger to Justise Winslow and Rodney McGruder for the starting small forward job.”"

Richardson offers length, at 6-foot-6, and shooting that would be valuable additions to the starting lineup. McGruder was serviceable and darn impressive as a spot starter last season, but he’s undersized at 6-foot-4 and projects more as a 3-and-D, backup guard.

Winslow has the skills and size to be an elite defender but, as a 25.8 percent career 3-point shooter, doesn’t offer the spacing that Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters and Hassan Whiteside need to thrive. Richardson gives the Heat the best of both worlds.

A starting lineup of Dragic, Waiters, Richardson, James Johnson and Whiteside is a true four-out offense than is versatile on both ends of the court. Four ball handlers on offense, and guys who can switch at almost every position on defense.

Next: Studying how Josh Richardson scores

It would also allow Winslow to come off the bench and reprise James Johnson’s role from last season as a point forward on the second unit. It may be best for Winslow, coming off of a serious shoulder surgery, to ease his way back, and playing a defined role such as that could help.