Overnight! Suns Complete 4-for-2 Trade, Thunder Hit Hard, Rockets Interested in Booker and Fox
The Phoenix Suns have completed a 4-for-2 trade with the Charlotte Hornets, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The Suns sent out Okeke and three second-round picks to the Hornets in exchange for Richards and one second-round pick. The second-round picks sent by the Suns are from the years 2031 (from the Suns), 2026 (from the Nuggets), and another from 2031 (from the Nuggets). In return, they received the Hornets' 2025 second-round pick.
Richards, who is currently 27 years old, stands at 2.13 meters tall and weighs 111 kilograms, playing as a center on the court. This season, he has averaged 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. According to statistics, Richards has had a shooting percentage of 65% over the past four seasons, ranking fifth in the NBA during that period (with at least 800 attempts). He could be considered the big center that the Suns have been longing for. John Gambadoro, a Suns reporter, reported that once Richards adapts to the team, he is expected to become the starting center for the Suns. After much anticipation, the Suns have finally completed the trade to successfully bring in the big center Richards, and it is hoped that this trade will help them overcome their difficulties and get back on track!
The Oklahoma City Thunder has suffered another blow. The team announced that their center, Hartenstein, has suffered a left soleus muscle strain and is expected to undergo another injury assessment in about a week. This means that the Thunder will be without this big man center guarding the paint for the next week, and their interior line will be under pressure again!
Hartenstein's sudden fall is undoubtedly a case of misfortune striking twice for the Thunder's interior! Their starting center, Holmgren, is still on the injury list, and now his replacement, Hartenstein, has also fallen due to injury. This will put the Thunder's interior to a severe test. This season, Hartenstein has played a total of 24 games for the Thunder, averaging 11.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, during which the team's record was 21 wins and 3 losses. It is not an exaggeration to say that the reason the Thunder could continue to lead the West after Holmgren's injury is largely due to Hartenstein's contributions! Without him perfectly filling the void left by Holmgren in the interior, the Thunder would not have been able to dominate the West!
The Houston Rockets are interested in Booker and Fox. So far this season, the Houston Rockets have achieved a remarkable record of 26 wins and 12 losses, ranking second in the West! Undoubtedly, the Rockets have now completely shed their label as a struggling team and returned to the ranks of strong Western Conference teams. With the continued progress of the young players within the team, the Rockets' next goal will not simply be to return to the playoffs; their next goal may well be to challenge for the NBA championship!
Recently, Tim MacMahon, an ESPN reporter, discussed the Rockets' situation on a program. Tim MacMahon stated that the Rockets understand internally that they ultimately need to pursue a star scorer to become contenders for the championship. Two potential trade target players that the Rockets may focus on in the future are Devin Booker and De'Aaron Fox. Tim MacMahon revealed: "The Rockets hold many of the Suns' draft assets, and they have made it known that they are fans of Devin Booker, but there are no indications that Booker and the Suns are interested in participating in this matter, and Booker will remain with the Suns." It can be seen that compared to trading for Devin Booker, pursuing De'Aaron Fox seems more realistic for the Rockets!