This season, the Phoenix Suns have been in a state of turmoil. Due to unsatisfactory team performance, the Suns are attempting trades from various angles. On one hand, they hope to get rid of Beal's super contract; on the other hand, they also plan to trade away center Nurkic. However, for the Suns, trading Beal is quite challenging due to the massive amount of his contract and his trade veto power, making it not an easy task to complete the trade.
Compared to the past, the Suns' urgent need for a center has reached an unprecedented level. Since Nurkic was benched, the Suns' frontline has become increasingly weak. Plumlee's subpar performance this season has left the Suns' interior virtually non-existent in many games. Taking the recent loss to the Hawks as an example, young Hawks center Okongwu scored 22 points and 21 rebounds, highlighting the Suns' poor frontline performance.
On January 16th, Beijing time, the Suns successfully completed a highly anticipated trade. According to Shams, sources revealed that the Hornets sent Richards and a second-round pick to the Suns, in exchange for Okeke and three second-round picks from the Suns. The sources also pointed out that the Suns provided their own 2031 second-round pick, plus two second-round picks from the Nuggets in 2026 and 2031, in return for a 2025 second-round pick.
Richards, standing at 2.13 meters tall and weighing 111 kilograms, plays as a center for the team. This season, he played 21 games for the Hornets, averaging 20.9 minutes per game, scoring 8.9 points, grabbing 7.5 rebounds, assisting 1.3 times, and blocking 1.2 shots. He started 9 games this season, averaging 11.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks during those starts. Statistically, over the past four seasons, Richards has had a shooting percentage as high as 65%, ranking fifth in the NBA (at least 800 attempts).
According to Suns beat reporter John Gambadoro on Twitter, as long as Richards can smoothly adapt to the overall atmosphere and tactical system of the Suns, he is very likely to take on the starting center position for the Suns.
The trade completed by the Suns is incredibly ideal, achieving multiple benefits with one stone. Firstly, they successfully introduced a strong center, significantly strengthening the team's frontline. Secondly, through this trade, the Suns saved $20 million in luxury tax, greatly easing the team's financial pressure. Thirdly, the Lakers also wanted to trade for Richards, but the Suns took the lead, effectively hijacking the Lakers' target and indirectly weakening their competitor, the Lakers.
After completing this major trade, Nurkic's position is completely gone, and other teams have no interest in him. As a result, Nurkic is likely to return to Europe to play basketball in the future. Let's see what kind of mental state the Suns will present after completing this trade!