The Phoenix Suns acquired center Nick Richards from the Charlotte Hornets, ESPN reported Wednesday. In exchange, the Hornets acquired guard Josh Okogie, the Suns’ 2031 second-round pick and the Denver Nuggets’ 2026 and 2031 second-round picks, by ESPN. Charlotte would also send the Nuggets’ 2025 second-round pick to Phoenix.
Richards, 27, is averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 21 minutes per game this season. He could immediately step into a starting role for the Suns, who recently moved Jusuf Nurkic to the starting role. bench then removed it from rotation (and are would have tried to exchange it).
This trade gives Phoenix something it didn’t have: a physical 7-footer who can gobble up rebounds, be a lob threat and protect the rim. Just eight days ago, the Suns got an up-close look at how effective he could be. In the Hornets’ 115-104 win over Phoenix, Richards had 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting (and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line), 12 rebounds (including five on the offensive glass) and three blocks in 25 minutes.
Charlotte dominated the boards in this game, and the Suns were bullied in that area again in their 122-117 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. On the season, Phoenix ranks 27th in offensive rebound percentage, which isn’t a huge surprise for a team coached by Mike Budenholzer. The biggest problem is that when Nurkic wasn’t on the court, his opponents rebounded 31.7% of their misses. Bad defensive rebounding is difficult to overcome, especially for a team that doesn’t force turnovers and has a mid-range heavy shooting profile.
Ideally, Richards’ presence will strengthen the Suns inside and give a little more punch to their pick-and-roll game. He won’t pass from the top of the post like Mason Plumlee, rookie Oso Ighodaro or Nurkic do, but maybe Phoenix needed a better role man. Richards’ efficiency has declined this season, but he has been a strong finisher for the vast majority of his five-season career and shot 76% at the rim in 2023-24.
Richards is making $5 million this season, and that same salary won’t be guaranteed next season. If he fits in as well as, say, Daniel Gafford did with the Dallas Mavericks last season, it will be a steal. The question for the Suns now is what comes next. They’re 19-20 this season, they were built to win now and they’re past the second apron, which means they can’t consolidate salaries in trades. Okogie, who they signed to a tradeable contract ($8.3 million this season, $7.8 million non-guaranteed next season), was one of the few pieces the Suns could bring into play. Everyone knows Nurkic is available, but does this move mean that Plumlee (who signed a one-year minimum deal last summer) and Ighodaro (who is in the first year of a contract cheap second round exception) is replaceable? Who is the best player Phoenix could reasonably get for Grayson Allen and their 2031 first-round pick?
Getting Richards for an (effectively) expiring contract and (effectively) two second-rounders is a solid move for a team looking to improve in the second half of the season. If that’s all the Suns do before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, they likely won’t have raised their cap space significantly. No one expects Bradley Beal to waive his no-trade clause, but let’s see what else Phoenix can do to balance the roster over the next three weeks.
Okogie, 26, is averaging 6.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 14 minutes per game. From the Hornets’ perspective, this trade is about picks, but if he’s in the upcoming rotation, he’ll immediately be their best defender at the point of attack. He is also an excellent rebounder for a guard.
Fun fact: Okogie played AAU ball with Charlotte forward Grant Williams.
