The Phoenix Suns bolstered their frontcourt on Wednesday by acquiring center Nick Richards in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that the Suns will send shooting guard Josh Okogie and three second-rounders to Charlotte in exchange for Richards. As part of the deal, Phoenix will receive a 2025 second-rounder via the Denver Nuggets.
The Suns were looking for a way to improve their center position amid a recent slump, and Richards could potentially be a low-cost answer. The 2020 second-round pick averaged 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 21 games this season. His best season in NBA was 2023-24 when he had career highs of 9.7 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 69.1% from the field.
Richards is immediately expected to be in the running for a starting spot on the Suns. Jusuf Nurkic, who was the team’s starting center at the beginning of 2024-25, has been removed from the rotation due to poor performance. Head coach Mike Budenholzer turned to veteran Mason Plumlee and rookie Oso Ighodaro in recent weeks, but they didn’t provide much improvement.
Despite big expectations to start the season, the Suns are currently sitting at No. 11 in the Western Conference standings with a 19-20 record. They have lost six out of their last ten games, although they are still just 2.5 games behind the Dallas Mavericks, who currently hold the last guaranteed playoff spot.
