Don't look now, but the Phoenix Suns are seventh in the West with a 14-12 record. They could be looking at ways to improve the roster leading up to the Feb. 5 deadline, but there is one obvious move they need to make. As ESPN's Bobby Marks wrote, if Phoenix's priority is to get under the luxury tax, it could trade Nick Richards' $5 million expiring contract.
The Suns acquired Richards last January in a trade with the Hornets. He played 36 games (34 starts) in the second half of the season in Phoenix, averaging 9.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in 22.7 minutes. So far this season, Richards is averaging 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in 9.4 minutes. He has played 24 games.
Now that the Suns have Mark Williams and even Khaman Maluach, who has played less than Richards, one of their top priorities should be to trade Richards. There are teams out there that need to boost their frontcourt before the playoffs start, and Richards is a solid backup center.
Suns should trade Nick Richards before the deadline
Trading Richards will allow Phoenix to get below the luxury tax, but as Marks also noted, if the team continues on the path they're on, Mat Ishbia could go even deeper into the tax. The Suns are three games back from the No. 6 Timberwolves and four games ahead of the No. 11 Trail Blazers.
They should at least make the play-in tournament, a feat that didn't seem all that possible before the season started.
Regardless of how the next few weeks go, it shouldn't prohibit Phoenix from moving on from Richards, as he has mainly been a non-factor for the first quarter of the season. The Suns haven't indicated that they want him to be part of their future.
There is no way that they're going to trade Williams, who is on a $6.3 million expiring deal. He has played too well for that to be an option. The only other expiring deal belongs to Richards. It was a good idea to keep him around to start the season, given Williams' injury history, but it's clear now that a trade is the next step.
Ishbia stressed before the season started that Phoenix would be competitive and that fans would be happy with the product on the court. So far, that's been true. Ishbia doesn't seem all that concerned about going over the tax (again), but trading Richards would help the Suns avoid the repeater rate.