ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic selected Michigan State guard Jase Richardson with the No. 25 overall pick in the NBA Draft on Wednesday night.

What You Need To Know

The Magic drafted former Michigan State guard Jase Richardson with the No. 25 pick on Wednesday night

Richardson, 19, was a 41.2% 3-point shooter at Michigan State and also could make plays for others

He also played for Spartans coach Tom Izzo, who puts a premium on defense

Richardson is just 6 feet, 1/2 inch tall, but he has a 6-6 wingspan and a standing reach of more than 8 feet, 2-1/2 inches

Orlando still has two picks remaining for the second round of the draft Thursday night, Nos. 46 and 57

Richardson, 19, averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 25.3 minutes per game as a freshman for the Spartans, playing in 36 games.

The Magic entered the offseason with their eyes set on adding shooting in the offseason, and Richardson fills that need. He shot 49.3% from the field, 41.2% from 3-point range and 83.6% from the free-throw line. He ranked second at Michigan State in scoring and helped the Spartans reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.

Richardson also was named to the 2024-25 All Big Ten Third Team, the Big Ten All Freshman Team and the NCAA South Regional All-Tournament Team.

After a lot of speculation about moves it might make, Orlando stayed at No. 25 in the draft and took what many experts said was the best remaining player available at that spot. 

President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said the team brought in Richardson to look at for the 16th pick before trading it to the Memphis Grizzlies in the deal that brought Desmond Bane to Orlando. Weltman said he was not sure whether Richardson would still be available at No. 25.

“Jase, for us, fits a lot of these things. He’s an excellent shooter. He’s one of the lowest mistake players in the whole draft,” Weltman said at a news conference after the first round. “…Most importantly, he’s an incredible young guy, and he’s got a great feel for the game.”

Richardson played primarily shooting guard for Michigan State but was also a playmaker.

“The interesting thing about Jase is that for a guy who really carried a huge part of their (Spartans’) offense and had to generate shots for himself and for others — next to no mistakes. The guy is a very easy ball mover. He’s a quick decision-maker. He’s got a crafty way to finish around the rim. Obviously, being lefty helps a little bit probably, and just really loves basketball.”

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said he appreciates Richardson’s toughness, his basketball IQ, his ability to knock down shots and the fact that he’s not afraid of big moments.

Richardson played for iconic Spartans coach Tom Izzo, who generally doesn’t let players, especially freshmen, on the floor if they can’t play defense.

“He’s been coached hard his whole life, and I think that’s a big piece of who he is and what he’s capable of doing,” Mosley said. “He’s a good on-ball defender, positional defender…..He’s up for the challenge and whatever we ask him to do.”

Richardson echoed those sentiments in a post-draft interview. He said the Magic’s core players — Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane — are all high-caliber players.

“I feel like I can add playmaking and shooting to that. So, anything the team needs me to do, or those guys need me to do, I’ll do it,” Richardson said.

What Richardson is not is tall, which some draft analysts said explained why he was not projected to be selected sooner in the draft. He measured 6 feet, 1/2 inch without shoes at the NBA Combine last month. The Magic, under Weltman, have tended to add players who are tall and have long limbs. Richardson has a 6-foot, 6-inch wingspan, 5 inches longer than his height, and he has a standing reach of 8 feet, 2-1/2 inches, which should help him against taller players.

Richardson’s father is Jason Richardson, who was a 6-6 sharpshooter for the Magic in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.

Jase said his father enjoyed playing in Orlando. The younger Richardson said he was 6 or 7 years old at that time and one of his favorite memories is that every time his dad would hit a 3-point shot, arena announcer Paul Porter would bellow, “Jason Riiiccchhh-ardson” and a cash machine sound would play through the sound system.

“When I got there for my workout, I kind of felt like it was a really good spot for me,” Jase Richardson said. “I really enjoyed my workout there, just the facilities and the people that I met. So, in my mind, it was a really good fit.”

His jersey number with the Magic will be No. 11, the same number he wore at Michigan State.

The draft continues Thursday night with the second round. The Magic hold the 46th and 57th picks and could make one or both picks, try to find a partner to package them together to move up, or trade one or both for other assets.