Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Toronto Raptors Host Michigan State's Jase Richardson for Pre-Draft Workout
Mar 28, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jase Richardson (11) in the second half of a South Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament against the Mississippi Rebels at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors appear to be doing their homework on Jase Richardson, bringing him in for a workout after interviewing the freshman guard at the NBA Draft Combine.

According to Grant Afseth of RG.org, the Raptors hosted Richardson as part of their pre-draft process. It’s the latest sign Toronto is exploring a range of backcourt options ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, including developmental guards with upside.

Richardson, the son of former NBA guard Jason Richardson, spent one season at Michigan State, where he averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. He was an efficient scorer, shooting 49.3% from the field, 41.2% from three-point range, and 83.6% from the free-throw line. He emerged as one of the more polished offensive freshmen in the country, standing out for his touch, composure, and shot-making ability.

At just over 6 feet tall, Richardson is undersized for an NBA shooting guard. His lack of height and length is a concern, especially defensively, where size and versatility are increasingly important. He’ll have to prove he can hold his own physically at the next level, both in pick-and-roll coverage and when switching onto bigger matchups.

Still, his offensive skill set is intriguing. Richardson is a crafty ball-handler who excels at changing pace, navigating tight spaces, and using angles to get downhill. He finishes well around the rim with both hands and plays off two feet, maintaining balance through contact. He’s not a pure point guard, but he moves the ball willingly and makes quick decisions, showing a solid feel for the game and good processing speed.

Defensively, Richardson brings consistent energy. He stays engaged, communicates well, and works to fight through screens. While his size limits his ability to contest shots or switch assignments, he competes and understands positioning, giving himself a chance to be a neutral defender with time and development.

The Raptors hold the No. 9 pick in the draft, and Richardson is not expected to go that early. However, with Toronto reportedly open to trading down, he could become a target in the middle of the first round if the team decides to slide back a few spots and bet on skill and long-term upside.

Further Reading


This article first appeared on Toronto Raptors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Jayden James, a Highly Ranked Penn State Wrestling Commit, Wins World Title
General Sports

Jayden James, a Highly Ranked Penn State Wrestling Commit, Wins World Title

Jayden James, a 2026 Penn State wrestling commit and one of the top-ranked high school wrestlers in his class, won a world title at the U17 World Wrestling Championships in Athens. James defeated Iran’s Arsham Mostafa of Iran 9-2 to claim the 71 kg freestyle gold medal. James began what could be a spectacular freestyle stretch for Penn State wrestlers, who will compete at multiple world events over the next two months. James' world-championship run helped the U.S. team score a tight win over Iran for the event's team title. James, who wrestles at Delbarton High in New Jersey, put together a phenomenal run in Greece. He won his first two matches by technical fall, scored a 6-0 win in the quarterfinals and pulled out a dramatic pin in the semifinal. According to USA Wrestling, James broke open a 3-3 tie by pinning Yeghishe Mosesyan, a two-time U15 European champion from Armenia, to reach the title bout. James was dominant in the final, scoring the 9-2 decision over the Iranian wrestler. James already is an accomplished wrestler heading into his senior year of high school. He is a two-time Fargo champion and won gold at the U17 Pan-American Championships. The New Jersey state champion initially committed to Virginia Tech before flipping to Penn State in March, after the Nittany Lions won their fourth straight NCAA team title. James was named the NJ.com 2024-25 wrestler of the year after winning the 150-pound title at the NJSIAA wrestling championships. James went 43-0 last season and pinned his way through the state tournament. James is FloWrestling's third-ranked wrestler in the 2026 class behind Bo Bassett, who is uncommitted, and Oklahoma State commit Jax Forrest. Penn State wrestling is on an international run The Nittany Lions have had a superb freestyle season, which will continue over the next few months at multiple world championships. Penn State's Levi Haines and PJ Duke will represent the U.S. at the 2025 Senior World Championships in September in Croatia. Duke has been the top story of the U..S. freestyle season, winning the 70 kg freestyle title at Final X to earn a spot on the Senior World Team. Duke also has qualified for the U20 and U23 World Championships. Seven current and future Penn State wrestlers, composing 70 percent of the U.S. freestyle team, will compete at the U23 World Championships in October in Serbia. Haines and Duke are on the team with Mitchell Mesenbrink, Luke Lilledahl, Marcus Blaze, Rocco Welsh and Barr. And recently, Penn State wrestlers Cole and Connor Mirasola and future Nittany Lion William Henckel won gold at the U20 Pan American Championships in Peru.

Brewers issue update on Jackson Chourio rehab timeline
MLB

Brewers issue update on Jackson Chourio rehab timeline

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio was tearing it up in July before he strained his hamstring legging out a triple. He was placed on the injured list, and it only got worse from there. Less than 24 hours later, manager Pat Murphy said Chourio would be out beyond the 10-day minimum and possibly at least a month. On Saturday, beat reporter Curt Hogg shed another tidbit of light on the slugger’s timetable. It’s not necessarily worse news, but Hogg’s update probably does not illuminate much. Fans already knew Chourio was going to be out a while after Friday’s report, so this latest info isn’t surprising. It isn’t all that encouraging, either. It certainly suggests no expedited return schedule. Not to make assumptions, but the emphasis on the location of the damage versus evaluating its severity seems to indicate the Brewers are just hoping Chourio avoided a worse-case scenario. In that case, caution would indeed be first in the order of operations. Only after ascertaining clarity would it make sense to seriously estimate a recovery timetable. That he won’t be ready to immediately resume baseball workouts further points to a slow, methodical recovery process. For however long he remains out, the lineup will miss him badly. Chourio’s 17 home runs rank second on the team behind Christian Yelich, as do his 67 RBI. His .786 OPS leads the offense among qualified hitters. In 90 at-bats in July, he hit .367/.408/.600. The Brewers are resilient everywhere, but without one of their few genuine power threats and hottest bats, plus an everyday outfielder, they are courting a potential offensive slump. The most fans can hope for from Chourio is that he returns fully healthy by the first week of September. Until then, Blake Perkins and trade pickup Brandon Lockridge should see plenty of playing time while Yelich takes more reps in the outfield after getting most of his at-bats this season as the designated hitter.

Justin Fields Called 'Biggest Loser' In Jets Training Camp
NFL

Justin Fields Called 'Biggest Loser' In Jets Training Camp

The New York Jets opted to cut Aaron Rodgers and sign Justin Fields to replace him during the offseason. This kind of commitment to Fields should bolster his confidence, but it could also place a lot of pressure on his shoulders. To this point, Fields has looked solid in training camp, aside from a scary toe injury that was quickly resolved in July. Justin Fried of the Jet Press recently reported that Fields' training camp may have reached a new low over the weekend as the young signal caller struggled. "Justin Fields put together his best practice of the summer to this point on Friday, completing his first 12 passes en route to an excellent all-around performance. The same can't be said about his showing on Saturday, however," Fried wrote. "Fields finished the day an abysmal 2-of-10 in the air, including a drop from rookie tight end Mason Taylor. "Some of his incompletions were catchable balls, but the Jets' passing game struggles on Saturday can largely be blamed on No. 7. Fields did flash his running ability with a 25-yard rushing score on the first play of red-zone drills, but the Jets would like to see more consistency in the air from the starting quarterback. Saturday's scrimmage was far from his best showing of the summer." Fields is a runner first at the NFL level, but his arm is nothing to scoff at. For most of training camp, his arm talent has been better than advertised, but during Saturday's scrimmage, it just wasn't there. A 2 for 10 performance is unacceptable for a $40 million quarterback who was signed to take over the team. The running game should open up the passing game for the Jets, which is going to need to be the case if Fields is going to struggle like this. However, it's just one day of camp. It's nothing to be too concerned about. Just because Fields lost this specific practice doesn't mean he's heading in the wrong direction as a whole.

Milwaukee Brewers: Nestor Cortes Gone, Standout Rookie 3B Has Emerged as Gem from Would-Be Lose-Lose Trade
MLB

Milwaukee Brewers: Nestor Cortes Gone, Standout Rookie 3B Has Emerged as Gem from Would-Be Lose-Lose Trade

Starting pitcher Nestor Cortes was the centerpiece of the Milwaukee Brewers‘ return haul from trading co-closer Devin Williams to the Yankees last December. Eight months later, Cortes is a member of the Padres, logging all of two starts in Milwaukee before injuries sapped his season. Over in New York, Williams lost his closer’s job, got it back, and has had one good month en route to a 5.04 ERA. Without the other part of Milwaukee’s incoming package, then minor-league third baseman Caleb Durbin, the trade would look at this juncture like a lose-lose scenario. Thanks to Durbin, it’s been anything but for the Brewers. Caleb Durbin is Milwaukee Brewers’ diamond in the rough Durbin didn’t make the spring training cut. Instead, the Brewers went with fellow rookie Oliver Dunn as the team’s starting third baseman. Durbin went down to Triple-A Nashville. Dunn didn’t last. After he struggled through the first three weeks of the season, he and Durbin switched places and the latter hasn’t squandered his shot. Following a slow start, he’s turned up the heat at the dish while playing outstanding defense. He’s had an OPS around .800 for over two months now and has his season slashline up to .263/.344/.372. His 2.2 WAR in 86 games played is tied for 10th among all third basemen, making him one of the position’s more valuable players. The Brewers saw plenty of promise in Durbin when they traded for him, coming off a strong season with New York’s Triple-A affiliate. Even though he didn’t, he was a decent candidate to make the team out of spring. The team likely didn’t see a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate, which he is. By WAR, he and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin have contributed the same value to their teams, more than any other NL rookies. Cortes, on the other hand, was supposed to be a consistent cog in the rotation. Last year for the Yankees, he made 30 starts and recorded a 3.77 ERA. Instead, he’s still making his way back from injury ahead of start number three this season. In San Diego. Of course, Milwaukee did turn him into outfielder Brandon Lockridge, who will provide depth while Jackson Chourio is hurt. To dump Cortes’ salary, however, they had to attach a prospect, infielder Jorge Quintana. Neither Cortes nor Williams has been what the receiving team hoped. Both will be free agents this offseason. Only the Yankees, however, are at risk of walking away empty-handed. With years of team control remaining, the Brewers have in Durbin what looks to be their third baseman of both the present and future. The trade didn’t deliver according to expectations, but it’s hard to be too upset with the results.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!