According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Phoenix Suns have completed a trade to land Nick Richards and a second-round pick from the Charlotte Hornets. In return, they have sent out Josh Okogie and three second-rounders, all of which were detailed in full by Bobby Marks. Phoenix sent out the Denver Nuggets’ 2026 and 2031 seconds, as well as their own 2031 second, and they received Denver’s 2025 second in the deal.
Richards has been having a solid season for the Hornets this year. In his 21 appearances, he has played 21.0 minutes per game, averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.
The addition also means that one thing is painfully clear—the Suns want defense.
Suns trade for Nick Richards shows they are finally prioritizing defense
Adding Richards to the mix means that Phoenix now has four big men on the roster who have played rotation minutes this year—Richards, Nurkic, Mason Plumlee, and Oso Ighodaro.
Not long ago, Mike Budenholzer decided to move Nurkic out of the starting lineup in favor of Plumee. And soon after that, Nurkic began racking up DNPs. All the while, Ighodaro has been playing more and more.
Now that the Suns have Richards in the mix as well, it’s clear that they want to go in a certain direction with their center position, and Nurkic does not fit that vision.
Richards is a quality defensive big, Plumlee holds his own, and Ighodaro looks like an up-and-coming defender as well. Nurkic has not been that for the Suns, nor has he really been that at any point in his career.
With a 115.2 defensive rating, Phoenix’s defense ranks 22nd in the league. If they want to be a playoff team, that needs to change. A move like this proves that they are doing the right thing to try to save their season.
Now, Richards isn’t an otherworldly defender, but he’s certainly a net positive on that end of the floor. And if it wasn’t already clear by Nurkic getting benched, it’s more clear than ever now—that’s the direction the Suns want to go in.
Having Kevin Durant and Devin Booker already on the roster means the Suns will always have sources of offense. But with the way their defense has looked this season, they needed to make a move.
Adding Richards to their center room is a perfect first step in meeting that goal, as him, Plumlee, and Ighodaro will do a solid job of holding down the fort in the paint.
There is still plenty of work to be done, but the Suns’ trade for Richards proves that they are prioritizing the right thing—defense.