It’s no secret what name is at the top of Phoenix’s trade wish list, but the Suns are not one trade away from contending. This team always had its eyes on multiple moves.
Like upgrading at center, which it did Wednesday in a trade that will bring in big man Nick Richards from Charlotte and send to the East Coast Josh Okogie and three second-round picks, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. (For those who want to nerd out on second-round picks, here is how it shakes out: Phoenix will receive Richardson plus Denver’s 2025 second-rounder to Phoenix; Charlotte will get Okogie, a 2026 Nuggets second-rounder and two 2031 second-rounders via Denver and Phoenix.)
This trade did not come out of the blue, it had been rumored, but the question was what form it would take. One way to do it was to send center Jusuf Nurkic back to Charlotte, but the Hornets didn’t want the $19.4 million he is owed next season on their books. This was a creative solution.
The trade is a win for both teams, but the higher grade goes to Phoenix.
The Suns are in win-now mode and Richards is an upgrade at the five — he brings more athleticism to the position than Phoenix had, and with that they should get a more active defense and a stronger rim-runner. Richards is averaging 8.9 points and 7.5 rebounds a game, counting stats in line with Nurkic, but Richardson was doing that on a Charlotte team that watches LaMelo Ball take more shots per game than any player in the league, he should fit in better with the ball movement in Phoenix. Recently, the Suns moved Nurkic to the bench for Mason Plumlee, now Richardson is expected to quickly become a starter, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (a well-connected Suns reporter).
The expectations are that Nick Richards will start for the Suns once he gets acclimated to the team.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) January 15, 2025
This was also a win financially for the Suns, who took back $3.2 million less in salary in this trade, which, once the luxury tax implications are factored in, saves the team about $20 million. Phoenix also keeps Nurkic’s $18.1 million salary on the books to use in another possible trade.
The Hornets are rebuilding, so more draft picks is the draw for them, although the Denver second-rounder this year seems headed for the 50s (however, those 2031 picks could be anything). Okogie also can bring defense to a team that needs it in the short term, but his contract is not guaranteed going forward so he could be waived to save money next summer.
Don’t be surprised if this is the first of multiple trades by the Hornets at the deadline.
