The Clippers Quickly Recycled Quentin Richardson Into Three Players
Los Angeles acquired Quentin Richardson in a separate Zach Randolph trade and moved him again on July 20, 2009, receiving Craig Smith, Sebastian Telfair and Mark Madsen from Minnesota. Richardson had not become a regular-season Clipper. The team preferred inexpensive frontcourt and guard cover over carrying another established wing. Minnesota accepted Richardson as a transferable veteran contract while reorganizing its own roster. This was a three-for-one agreement with no immediate new draft pick, but the individual playing returns ended up very different.
Craig Smith Gave Los Angeles Seventy-Five Productive Games
Smith appeared in 75 Clippers regular-season games during 2009-10, starting twice and averaging 7.8 points with 3.8 rebounds. His 16.4 minutes per appearance supplied dependable scoring around the basket for a team with several young interior players. Telfair also played 39 Clippers games, including one start, averaging 4.3 points and 2.9 assists in 14.9 minutes. He eventually moved to Cleveland during a separate February transaction. Their subsequent contributions for other organizations do not belong to this Los Angeles trade, but the Clippers already received a useful collection of bench appearances.
Madsen Was Waived, and Richardson Never Played for Minnesota
The third incoming Clipper, Madsen, was waived August 21 before the season. Minnesota did not keep Richardson long enough to receive league minutes from him either. On August 13, it traded the forward to Miami in return for Mark Blount, an agreement confirmed by the Heat's contemporaneous announcement. Blount's contract was a financial and roster-management asset, but his earlier Miami statistics are not Timberwolves basketball production. Richardson's 2009-10 appearances were made with the Heat, so they cannot be assigned to Minnesota merely because it briefly held his contract.
Los Angeles Received Actual Minutes While Minnesota Continued Rearranging Contracts
The Clippers clearly benefited from securing two players who could participate in their rotation, even though a third incoming veteran was released before opening night. Minnesota viewed Richardson as a short-term contract asset and converted him into another veteran's contract within weeks. That onward transaction was real rather than a total loss, but it did not result in the immediate playing contributions Los Angeles obtained from Smith and Telfair. The inherited Clippers-favored winner remains appropriate. Its advantage rests on the 114 combined Clippers appearances, not Richardson's later Miami performances or an imagined Minnesota season.
Final Verdict
Clippers Win. Los Angeles retains A- after Craig Smith supplied 75 games and 7.8 points per game, while Sebastian Telfair added 39 games and useful reserve ball handling. Minnesota receives C+ for using Quentin Richardson's contract in the later Mark Blount transaction, but Richardson played zero Timberwolves regular-season games. Mark Madsen was waived before contributing for Los Angeles.