There has been a lot of speculation about what the Phoenix Suns could do this offseason under new GM Brian Gregory. On Wednesday, NBA insider Jake Fischer provided insight on one thing the team wants to check off their list this summer — getting a starting-level center (subscription required).
Fischer wrote that the Suns want a new center, regardless of whether a Kevin Durant trade happens. Phoenix wants "to further upgrade on the move they made during the season to deal away Jusuf Nurkic and replace him with Nick Richards via Charlotte."
Nurkic started 23 of the 25 games he played for the Suns in 2024-25, before Mike Budenholzer moved him to the bench. The Suns attached a first-round pick to the Hornets to get off Nurkic's contract, further proving that trading for him in the first place was the wrong decision.
They acquired Nick Richards in a separate deal with Charlotte before the Nurkic trade. He averaged 9.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game for Phoenix in 36 games (34 starts). Richards came off the bench in most of the games he played for the Hornets during his first four-and-a-half seasons in the league. He'll seemingly return to that role in 2025-26, the final season on his current contract.
Suns want to land a starting-level center this offseason
Phoenix is limited in what it can do in terms of landing the center it desires. The free agency center market isn't stocked with high-end options, headlined by players like Brook Lopez and Clint Capela. Myles Turner is another soon-to-be free agent, but Fischer previously reported he'll re-sign with the Pacers.
Lopez could leave Milwaukee, especially if Giannis Antetokounmpo does. He recently turned 37, so while he isn't a bad option (he can shoot!), he isn't a player the Suns should prioritize. Capela, however, is a player Phoenix should consider. The 31-year-old averaged 8.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game for Atlanta last season in 55 contests.
Capela's next deal won't come close to the nearly $23 million he averaged annually with the Hawks, but it'd still take some maneuvering for the Suns to fit him in financially. Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus predicted that Capela will make anywhere from five million to $14 million annually in his next contract.
Phoenix is limited in what it can do financially (a Durant trade would help!), but it seems like Gregory is willing to do what it takes to pull something off. It won't be the top-of-the-line starting center fans desire, but hopefully, whoever comes to the desert is an upgrade over what Nurkic provided.