The Lakers and the Suns are competing for the Hornets' 213cm frontcourt player! The trade assets have been revealed, and he performs steadily with a low salary.
After acquiring the 3D wing Finney-Smith at the end of last month, the Lakers have not made any new moves recently. Journalist Siegel recently disclosed that the Lakers and the Suns are vying for the Hornets' 213cm frontcourt player, Richards, as both teams want to strengthen their frontcourt lineup. Phoenix wants to use Richards to replace Nurkic, while Los Angeles hopes to enhance their frontline rotation depth.
Richards was selected in the second round, 42nd overall, in the 2020 draft. This season marks his fifth year in Charlotte. In his first two seasons, he did not have much playing time, averaging less than 8 minutes per game in both seasons. However, in the past two seasons, he has become a key rotational player thanks to his rebounding ability and strong performance in the paint. Last season, he started 51 games, averaging 9.7 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks, which was the best year of his career.
So far this season, Richards has played 20 games, starting in 9 of them, averaging 9.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks, with a high shooting percentage of 56.4%. In the Hornets' 115-104 victory over the Suns on the 8th, he efficiently scored 15 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and had 3 blocks with 6 out of 4 shots, showing an excellent performance.
This 213cm frontcourt player has a salary of only $5 million for both this season and next season. This cost-effective contract will expire at the end of the 2025-26 season, making Richards very attractive to teams facing salary cap issues.
According to journalist Siegel, Richards has become a trade target for both the Suns and the Lakers, as both teams hope to strengthen their lineups before the trade deadline on February 6 (local time). Phoenix pursued Richards before the trade deadline last year but were dissatisfied with center Nurkic, who they brought in during the 2023 offseason. Nurkic has recently been demoted to the bench and did not play in the last two games.
Nurkic is averaging 8.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists this season, with a shooting percentage of 45.4% and a three-point percentage of 32.2%. His salary this season is as high as 18.1million,anditwillbe19.3 million next season; Richards is clearly a younger and more cost-effective alternative. NBA journalist Sidley pointed out that the Suns and Hornets have had preliminary discussions and are interested in exchanging Nurkic and several second-round picks for Richards.
The Lakers have been looking to enhance their frontcourt depth and find support for Davis. Richards has a physical advantage and can help protect the paint for Los Angeles.