5 cheap, under-the-radar free agents who could fill needs for the Blazers

4. Josh Richardson

Richardson is a three-and-D wing who comes close to actually fulfilling both the three and D requirements for the archetype. He’s had an up-and-down career, but it seems like he’s settled into a role as an eighth man or so who can fill minutes, guard multiple positions on the wing, and hit open shots when called upon.

The 6-5 29-year-old had back-to-back breakout seasons with the Miami Heat in 2017-18 and 18-19. He started 154 games during those two years and averaged a combined 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 steals (2.0 stocks) as he developed into one of the Heat’s most critical players.

He also shot almost 37 percent from three across those two seasons.

Richardson hasn’t come close to replicating his production with Miami, but he’s become a serviceable role player who hasn’t cost a serious sum of money in recent years. Bouncing around between three teams the last two campaigns, he’s come off the bench and averaged 24 minutes a game, averaging 10.2 points on nearly 39 percent shooting from deep while playing his usual brand of above-average defense.

J-Rich signed a $12.2 million contract with the Boston Celtics for the 2022-23 season but will end it as a 30-year-old who played for two teams in one year. As an unrestricted free agent, he shouldn’t command anywhere near that double-digit salary in 2023-24.