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Jason Richardson: Veteran SG Retires After 13 Seasons

By Jonathan Savitske

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Veteran shooting guard Jason Richardson announced his retirement from the NBA on Wednesday after a 13 year career.

The Atlanta Hawks signed Jason Richardson to a non-guaranteed deal and an invitation to training camp in August. The hope was that Richardson would contend for the final roster spot at training camp and show that he could remain healthy after two injury plagued seasons as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. Unfortunately, it was reported that Richardson began to once again feel pain in his oft injured knee, prompting him to make the decision to walk away from the game.

-= Related: Atlanta Hawks: Who Gets the Final Roster Spot? =-

Jason Richardson, 34, was a career 37 percent shooter from three-point range and was a 2 time slam dunk contest champion. He began his career as a member of the Golden State Warriors, and built a reputation in Oakland as an excellent long-range shooter. I’m sure that when the Atlanta Hawks signed Richardson to a non-guaranteed deal, their desire for him was to backup Kyle Korver at the 2 and to provide another weapon from beyond the arc off the bench.

Richardson could have also been an asset in the locker-room, replacing Elton Brand as a veteran presence that would behoove the younger players. J-Rich was always one of my favorite players, and I wish him the best of luck in his retirement.

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Now that Jason Richardson has announced his retirement, the entire complexion of the battle for the Atlanta Hawks’ final roster spot has changed. I initially believed that when training camp begins at the University of Georgia on September 29th, the competition for the final spot would come down to Lamar Patterson and Jason Richardson. Now with Richardson out of the picture, the competition opens up.

Lamar Patterson will undoubtedly be the front-runner for a spot on the Hawks’ roster once training camp begins, but don’t discount former Nebraska swingman Terran Petteway (a Las Vegas Summer League teammate of Patterson), former Louisville PG Edgar Sosa, or SF DeQuan Jones. All of these players have intriguing qualities that could benefit the Hawks’ depth. With the departure of Richardson from the field, more parity exists now to foster an environment of equitable competition for the final roster spot.

If Lamar Patterson continues his inconsistencies in training camp, perhaps a player like Edgar Sosa who shot 45.5 percent from three-point range this summer in the FIBA Americas Tournament could find a spot at the end of the Atlanta Hawks bench. One thing is for sure, the battle for the final roster spot just got a lot more interesting.

Next: Anthony Bennett: Option for Atlanta Hawks?

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