In a move that Phoenix Suns fans have been crying out for, the franchise finally traded for long rumored trade target Nick Richards on Wednesday, sending the Charlotte Hornets Josh Okogie and three second round picks in exchange for the center. The Hornets agreeing to send back a second rounder down the road to complete the deal.
On the surface this is an excellent deal. The Suns are operating in the second apron and don't have many ways to get better, with center Richards one of the only realistic ways to improve their greatest need on their roster. Adding him does just that, while also ensuring that promising rookie Oso Ighodaro continues to have room to grow.
The final grade on this one may not be what you think however.
Again the Suns had to do something - and in keeping their 2031 first round pick in house - they are still players if Jimmy Butler gets his way and lands in The Valley. Losing Okogie may hurt a little more than the franchise things however, as on his night he was still one of the better wing defenders in their rotation.
There was a period earlier this season when the Suns were struggling that he outscored Devin Booker twice on an ugly road trip - and although that says more about the state of the team at that point than anything else - Okogie had proven he was a rotation worthy player. He was behind Royce O'Neale, Grayson Allen and Ryan Dunn in the depth chart, but was still nice to have in reserve.
The Charlotte Hornets are trading 7-foot center Nick Richards and one second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/RwPGJH5lzo
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 15, 2025
Really though giving up every remaining second rounder (until they get one back from Charlotte) hurts even more, as these picks have increased in value with teams struggling to balance the cap sheet each season. Bundling them together as the Suns did here was how they managed to get O'Neale and David Roddy at the deadline last season, so they do have value.
But with their season slipping away and Jusuf Nurkic no longer in the rotation at all, the Suns had to do something to try and climb back into contention. Richards is exactly the kind of player they needed, worlds better than Nurkic athletically and a player who can defend the rim in ways this group simply hasn't had since Deandre Ayton left town.
The rotation of Richards, Ighodaro and Mason Plumlee is much better than when Nurkic was in there, and it also takes some pressure off Plumlee as well. He works best as a backup - and although he may still start games for the time being - he is going to get phased out in favor of Richards quite quickly. This will suit him as he has a greater impact when playing in smaller spurts.
At 27-years-old and having played for Kentucky - as well as spending his entire career with the floundering Hornets - Richards has the potential to transform the Suns from the inside. It is asking a lot to have the same impact Daniel Gafford had when the Dallas Mavericks added him at the deadline last season, but he is a clear upgrade over what this group had in place.
It will also give Ighodaro a chance to learn from a player who is more similar in style to him, while again taking pressure off a rookie to constantly produce on a team featuring Booker and Kevin Durant. In terms of adding a player there are no drawbacks, this was the deal to make and the organization went out and did it.
Even giving up Okogie makes sense, that's the reason they brought him back at the figure they did last summer. Add in those picks for a big who doesn't shoot 3-pointers, has career averages of 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds and zero playoff games played though, and you need to remember to taper those expectations. Richards will be a massive help, but he alone can not and will not fix everything.