The 2026 NBA trade deadline was full of activity and surprises and could go down as one of the most exciting ones in recent memory. Winners and losers of the deadline will be the talk of the town in the coming days. Which teams made the best and worst moves? Which players will succeed or fail in their new situations?
This article is about a winner from the deadline, but not the kind you might think. Down south in the heart of Orlando, there’s a rookie who wasn’t directly affected by the chaos at all but is a big winner regardless. That rookie is Jase Richardson. Here’s why.
The Magic weren’t too busy at the deadline, but they did move off of Tyus Jones, shipping him to Charlotte. The team added Jones in free agency last summer, but he turned out to be a huge letdown of a signing. In 48 games for Orlando, Jones averaged 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds on 34.2% from the field and 29.4% from three. The 29-year-old used to be one of basketball’s top backup point guards, but somewhere along the way he completely lost his magic, no pun intended. The only thing that kept him in the rotation was probably politics, honestly.
It took draft capital for Orlando to convince the Hornets to take on Jones, and Charlotte turned around and flipped the veteran to Dallas in short order. One more half season of poor play and Jones’ career could be over.
In his wake, Jones leaves 15.7 minutes of backcourt playing time free for the taking. Jase Richardson is undoubtedly licking his chops looking at that opportunity.
Richardson has already started to creep his way up the ladder in Orlando. In November, he was playing just 7.6 minutes per night, but that jumped up to 14.7 in December and 15.2 in January. With Jones out of the picture, he could easily see 20-25 minutes a game. He deserves that type of burn.
The Michigan State product has been really solid to start his career. He’s averaging 5.3 points (16.1 per 36) on 48/37/73 splits. That’s impressive efficiency for a first-year guard. His poise, confidence and feel stand out in the best way possible. Yes, he’s only played 35 games, but Richardson already moves like an old pro. He’s smaller in stature, limiting his defensive impact, but other than that, he’s the ideal guard for the Magic. They need as much offensive help as they can get. Richardson can be that spark.
What Richardson’s ceiling is remains to be seen, but the 20-year-old has already set the foundation for success in this league. Now, with more space to grow, he’ll be able to continue to cement himself as a prospect worth investing in. That’s why he’s walking away a winner from the trade deadline.
Don’t be surprised if Richardson’s name pops up more and more after the All-Star break. Hop on the bandwagon before it’s too late.
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