The Miami Heat need to keep Richardson and Winslow

The Miami Heat are unlikely to part with Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson.

One week ago, when the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League was just hitting its stride, the Miami Heat’s Josh Richardson made an appearance.

Fitted with Heat gear and a pair of modest gold chains, Richardson finding his way back to Vegas was familiar territory.

Three years prior, Richardson was sitting much the same, albeit on the bench with the rest of Miami’s Summer League hopefuls. Alongside fellow then-rookie Justise Winslow, the duo impressed enough to fall into the regular rotation in Miami’s 2015-16 lineup.

Richardson’s stopover in Vegas didn’t last long.

This week he’s posted in Santa Barbara, California, putting in weight room hours to continue his growth ahead of his fourth NBA season. With the help of the Peak Performance Project, Richardson is redefining his body down to its every movement.

"“My motivation is different this summer,” Richardson said in a Miami Heat press video. “Just because I’m working on a few different things, and this year hopefully I’ll step into more of a leadership role on the team.”"

Winslow has also been hard at work. The Miami Herald reported earlier this summer that Winslow made plans to do everything short of sleep at the gym this offseason.

"“My family will have to keep me out of the gym,” said Winslow. There’s a lot left in my story, in my book. Ups and downs this year revealed a lot of my character. I’m proud of myself staying with it and continuing to get better. Just going to take some time to reflect on this season and try to get better this summer. I’m just excited for my future and my team’s future.”"

Talk and action aside, the pair of Heat players formerly known as “Rook 1” and “Rook 2” have proved integral in Miami’s organization since being drafted in 2015.

Richardson led all Heat players in minutes per game last season, while Winslow met the first turning point of his career, filling in as a secondary point guard in head coach Erik Spoelstra’s positionless system.

Their growth each season provides Miami with more than just box score filler. At 24 and 21 years old respectively, Richardson and Winslow yield Miami future assurance, or insurance, as both team members and high-quality trade pieces.

After Miami fell in five games to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2018 NBA playoffs, Richardson and Winslow were among the Heat players involved in trade speculation.

Their relative health – Richardson played 81 games this year while Winslow bounced back from injury with 68 – and eye towards development seemed easy to package in a way that would allow Miami to shed one of its heavier contracts.

But now, according to anonymous executives, the Heat, who have been shopping players to both shed salary and potentially acquire Carmelo Anthony, is unwilling to part ways with either Richardson or Winslow.

And that’s some great news for Miami.

No trades, no problem

In any of Miami’s hypothetical trade situations that would allow them to discard a larger salary and come under the luxury tax, Richardson and Winslow were likely a joint package. Absorbing Tyler Johnson or Hassan Whiteside’s gargantuan deals only becomes alluring when young upstarts are included, with some positing Miami would even need to include Bam Adebayo as sweetener.

Though it’s yet to be heard from team president Pat Riley’s mouth, making Richardson and Winslow off-limits in particular is satisfying. Both players introduce differing skills sets, body builds and tendencies that provide Miami the greatest flexibility moving forward.

For Richardson, who entered the league a better scorer than Winslow, his defense has become his calling card.

At the 2017-18 season’s end, when the All-NBA teams were awarded, Richardson’s name was suspiciously absent from the All-Defense squads. Though he led Miami in total steals (121) and was second in blocks (75), his efforts went unrewarded.

"“I think unquestionably, he’s an All-NBA defender,” Spoelstra told the Miami Herald. “I think it’s a shame. I don’t think his name out there. I don’t think people recognize the kind of defender he is except for the teams that he plays against. I think they see it.”"

Richardson’s quick hands have only improved through his three seasons.

In addition to improving his thefts per game year after year, he’s regularly decreased his tendency to foul, down to 2.7 per game from 3.5 in his rookie year.

Winslow on the other hand has made his game around the exact flexibility that Spoesltra preaches. Beyond improving his 3-point shooting to a career high 38 percent (on 149 attempts), Winslow’s ability to play all five spots on the floor, and on both ends, adds to his stock.

With naturally beguiling statures and thus the ability to keep Miami’s roster fluid, any trades for Richardson and Winslow are skewed against the Heat.

What they afford Miami in lineup flexibility outweighs even the cap nightmares that loom in 2018 and 2019.

An eye to the future

More important than their continued growth however, is the organizational flexibility Richardson and Winslow provide the Heat.

Miami, well known for their tendency to lust after high-profile free agents, already has a one size fits all welcoming party. Without a major restructuring, Richardson and Winslow continue on their South Beach roadmaps, hopefully finding stops in All-Star, All-NBA territory. The NBA covets wing play, and both Richardson and Winslow fill that hole for Miami moving forward, gaining exposure and experience in the process.

However, if the Heat can snag a ready-made talent, the duo is prepackaged to effectively complement the new acquisition. Neither Richardson nor Winslow are on pace to become incredibly ball dominant, especially not if that growth happens alongside a player anything like Dion Waiters.

Richardson and Winslow took 26 and 24 isolation sets this season respectively, leaving the bulk of that heavy lifting to James Johnson (118) and, until he was sidelined to injury, Waiters (89). Now, replace Waiters or Johnson with any star – Kawhi Leonard for instance, who took 213 such possessions in his last full season – and Richardson and Winslow’s effectiveness doesn’t dip at all.

It’s a win-win.

Tempting as it may be to try and escape the luxury tax, keeping Richardson and Winslow on board for the long haul is the right move.

Next: Miami Heat not giving up on Whiteside shows character of organization

Finding players with high ceilings and those who fit with Heat culture is no easy task. Lucky for Miami, they already have two.