Orlando Magic rookie Jase Richardson is already displaying the ability to offer the spacing and off-ball activity that the franchise has struggled to find during the Paolo Banchero era. It's provided a sense of instant gratification after Orlando selected Richardson at No. 25 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
More importantly, Richardson's preseason emergence is providing Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley with something he's lacked in previous seasons: Options on offense.
Orlando finished the 2024-25 regular season ranked dead last in the NBA in three-point field goals made and three-point field goal percentage. Despite running the pick and roll with the third-most frequency of any team in the NBA, the Magic were also No. 28 in catch-and-shoot three-point field goals made.
A downhill team with a surplus of players who can score inside and a clear ability to collapse an opposing defense, Orlando was strategically its own worst enemy due to its lack of spacing.
With the addition of key players such as Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones, and Richardson, that should change in 2025-26. The heavy dose of pick-and-roll sets should open the floor for all three of those players to continue to excel in catch-and-shoot and even playmaking situations.
What Richardson offers in specific, however, is a player who doesn't necessarily need the ball for extended stretches in 2025-26 to keep a defense on its heels.
Jase Richardson provides shooting, motion Magic desperately needed
Richardson has done an excellent job of making himself available during the 2025 preseason. When a teammate is on the drive, he calmly shifts his position to provide the playmaker in question with the easiest angle to complete a pass.
That alone is a skill that countless veterans are coveted for providing, let alone a rookie who has yet to play an NBA regular season minute.
When given the opportunity to shoot, Richardson has punished rival defenses for giving him space. He was a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc in Orlando's preseason opener, went 2-of-2 from distance the next time out, and shot 2-of-5 from three-point range in his most recent outing.
There's reason to believe Richardson can continue to shoot efficiently after he buried 41.2 percent of his three-point field goals and 83.6 percent of his free throws as a freshman in 2024-25.
Jase Richardson is not only fearless, but adapting to teammates' needs
Richardson's uncanny ability to find space and knock down open looks couldn't have come at a better time for Orlando. Banchero and Franz Wagner rank among the best scoring duos in the NBA, but have inevitably suffered from a lack of ideal spacing.
Richardson should help as a player who has proven adept at the collegiate, Summer League, and preseason levels at shooting off of a variety of actions.
Richardson can make himself at home in the corner, slyly navigate the area above the break to create easy angles for post players, slashers, and pick-and-roll ball-handlers, and work an impressive two-man game. That projects to make him as adaptable as any reserve on the Magic's roster.
It also means he could play significant minutes alongside some combination of Banchero, Bane, Wendell Carter Jr., Jalen Suggs, and Wagner sooner than later,
It will take time for a first-year player to truly find their footing, no matter their skill set, situation, or overall talent level. That must be kept in mind during any and all conversations about Richardson and his unavoidable upside as an offensive player.
What Richardson has unequivocally proven early in his time with the Magic, however, is that he has the shooting range and awareness to find space and hold defenses accountable.