The trade deadline is still a month and a half away, but at this point, Phoenix Suns fans know that Nick Richards will likely be on the move. He's fallen out of the rotation and is on a $5 million expiring contract. There is a chance that Richards might've already played his final game with the Suns, as the team has already been discussing a trade.
On Thursday, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported that Phoenix and Toronto had "exploratory" discussions about a trade that would send Richards to the Raptors in exchange for Ochai Agbaji and a second-round pick. That trade could happen sooner rather than later, given the team's desire to solidify itself as a top team in the East and Jakob Poeltl's ongoing back issues.
Richards has received minutes here and there over the past few weeks, but nothing significant. It's been nearly a month since he played over 20 minutes in a game, which happened on Nov. 24 when he played 22 in a 114-92 loss to Houston.
Suns are trying to trade Nick Richards before the deadline
Richards arrived in Phoenix less than a year ago and started 34 of 36 games for the team in the second half of the season. The Suns went from needing frontcourt depth entering the offseason to Richards finding himself on the outside looking in after the team's offseason trade for Mark Williams, whom Richards backed up in Charlotte.
Jordan Ott has used Oso Ighodaro as the team's backup center, putting Richards third on the depth chart. Don't forget about Khaman Maluach, Phoenix's No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft. He's spent more time in the G League than on the court for the Suns this season, but the organization has high hopes for the 19-year-old.
Richards is the odd man out, so the writing is on the wall. He may continue to play sparingly for Phoenix, but there is also a chance he has played his final game for the Suns. You can't rule that possibility out. It's not so much a question of if he'll be traded, but when.
Maybe he'll find himself in Toronto after the deadline, or perhaps even Boston, which traded Kristaps Porziņġis to Atlanta over the summer and lost Al Horford in free agency. The Celtics are currently the fourth-best team in the East, even without Jayson Tatum, and Richards is a buy-low option that could help them make a playoff run.
Whatever happens, it's clear that Richards' time in Phoenix is coming to an end.