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The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has traded guard/forward Quentin Richardson to the Miami Heat in exchange for center Mark Blount.
According to the Associated Press, “Richardson is due to earn about $9 million this season. Blount was to make around $7.9 million.”
Also, according to the AP, “Like Richardson, Blount also is in the final year of his deal.”
“We are very excited to add Quentin Richardson,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “Over the course of his career, he has proven to be a fierce competitor, a great locker room presence and a very prolific three-point shooter who may be one of the strongest perimeter players in the NBA. We feel that he will be able to match-up well against the top scorers in the league. We also want to thank Mark Blount for his contributions to the Heat. He provided a solid veteran presence to our team the past two years.”
Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 18th overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft, Richardson has appeared in 601 games (389 starts) during his nine-year NBA career and has averaged 11.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 28.0 minutes. He has shot 39.8 percent from the floor, 35.4 percent from three-point range and 71.2 percent from the foul line. Five times, including the 2008-09 season, he has averaged double figures in points. Additionally, four times, including last season, he has hit at least 100 three-point field goals during a season. During the 2004-05 season, with Phoenix, he tied for the league lead in three-point field goals made with a career-high 226. His 940 career three-point field goals made are tied for 65th place all-time in NBA history and ranked 31st among players who played during the 2008-09 campaign.
Richardson (6’6”, 235 pounds) appeared in 72 games (51 starts) for the New York Knicks during the 2008-09 season and averaged 10.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 26.3 minutes while shooting 39.3 percent from the floor, 36.5 percent from three-point range and 76.1 percent from the foul line. He scored in double figures on 26 occasions, with at least 20 points nine times and a pair of 30-point performances. The Chicago native recorded season highs in points (34), field goals made (11), three-point field goals made (seven), rebounds (12) and minutes (44) in New York’s Nov. 22 win over Washington. Richardson hit multiple treys 30 times last season, including nine games where he hit at least four in a game.
At the conclusion of the 2008-09 season, Richardson was dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies in a draft night trade for Darko Milicic. He was subsequently dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers on July 17 for Zach Randolph and then to the Timberwolves on July 20 for Mark Madsen, Craig Smith and Sebastian Telfair.
Blount, a nine-year NBA veteran, was acquired by the Heat along with Ricky Davis from the Timberwolves on Oct. 24, 2007 in exchange for Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac, Wayne Simien and a conditional first-round draft choice. In two seasons with the Heat, Blount appeared in 89 games (46 starts) and averaged 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 19.7 minutes while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor, 39.4 percent from three-point range and 63.6 percent from the foul line. For his career, he has appeared in 605 games (393 starts) and has averaged 8.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 23.1 minutes while shooting 50.4 percent from the floor, 35.9 percent from three-point range and 72.3 percent from the foul line.
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