The Phoenix Suns have made a key move ahead of the February 6th trade deadline, acquiring center Nick Richards from the Charlotte Hornets. The Suns also received a second-round pick via the Denver Nuggets and, in return, sent Josh Okogie and an additional three second-round picks.
Richards has had a solid season in Charlotte, serving as a backup to Mark Williams. He is averaging 8.9 points on 56.1% shooting with 7.5 rebounds in 21 minutes per game. In a victory over the Suns last week, he produced 15 points and 12 rebounds in 25 minutes. Perhaps even more encouraging is that in nine starts Richards has averaged 11.3 points and 10.2 rebounds.
The Charlotte Hornets are trading 7-foot center Nick Richards and one second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/RwPGJH5lzo
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 15, 2025
Suns Make Center Move Ahead of Trade Deadline
Center Rotation Gains Big Upgrade
Among all the Suns’ struggles, their center rotation perhaps ranks worst. Jusuf Nurkic and Mason Plumlee have proved to be an underwhelming duo, and it is unfair to place so much pressure on the shoulders of young rookie Oso Ighodaro. The production between Nurkic and Plumlee has been very weak, with the pair contributing a combined 12.6 points per game.
The future of Nurkic in particular is unclear, with the Suns reportedly shopping the Bosnian. Their intentions were made clear, firstly by benching the player, before he was a DNP in the two games following. He has since missed two further games due to illness, which may keep him out longer. If he remains on the roster post-trade deadline, it is likely he remains on the bench.
Adding Richards to the roster by trade gives the Suns a significant lob threat, which they have severely lacked over the past 18 months. The 7-footer also provides good rebounding, another area of struggle in recent weeks. In the last week, the Suns have allowed 20 or more offensive rebounds three times. They are the only team in the NBA to do so this season. With Nurkic seemingly on his way out, Richards may get the nod to start ahead of Plumlee. John Gambadoro reports this to be the case once Richards gets acclimated to the team.
What Next for the Suns
With the Suns facing an uphill battle to make the playoffs, work is certainly not done. They are currently 19-20 and in 11th place in the Western Conference. Although, this is just 2.5 games behind the Dallas Mavericks in sixth. They are 4-2 in their last six, which coincides with the benching of Bradley Beal and Nurkic. However, both still appear to be on the trading block. The Jimmy Butler saga continues to dominate headlines with the Suns at the forefront. Any deal would involve Beal, though would require a third team to take on his contract.
An already depleted pool of assets is now smaller with the departure of Okogie and the second-round picks. That said, there are still pieces that can be used to make some more moves, whether that be in a Butler trade or elsewhere. The only picks they own are the second-round pick they received back in the Richards trade, which is for this year, and a 2031 first-round pick, which is their own. Tradeable contracts include Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Beal, and Nurkic, though moving the latter two players is easier said than done. They could also look to trade starting point guard Tyus Jones to replenish their picks, with the player on an expiring contract.
