Suns would be foolish to trade away starting big man this summer

If there is one area the Phoenix Suns have seriously struggled in recent years, it has been at the center position. The franchise were right to move on from Deandre Ayton when they did, but that doesn't mean things have gotten much better since doing so. Credit to the front office, in the wake of trading Kevin Durant they made two moves to try and fix this problem.

The first was drafting what they hope is a long-term solution at the position, with 18-year-old South Sudanese prospect Khaman Maluach as raw as they come, but with bags of defensive upside. Offensively however, it will take years for his game to come together. Subsequently trading for Mark Williams caught many off guard, but he is only 23 and despite his injury history is dominant when fit.

Suns best course of action is keeping Nick Richards in Phoenix.

Then there is Nick Richards - who at the trade deadline was the solution for the franchise - and is now their third string big man. Already this offseason he has been rumored to be part of a package the Suns were putting together to try and secure the services of Jonathan Kuminga, alongside Grayson Allen and four second round picks.

If that combination was enough to convince the Warriors to part with Kuminga, then the Suns should do it every time. But assuming it isn't - and right now that looks to be the case - why is everybody so eager to move on from the former Charlotte Hornet? If you go back to his arrival in Phoenix, he immediately gave the group some of the energy and defensive desire that has been sorely lacking.

Richards isn't a starting calibre big in this league, that much we know. But with Maluach so young and Williams having never played more than 43 games in a season as a result of those aforementioned injuries, Richards is the most dependable center they have heading into 2025-26. By no means indispensable and absolutely available at the right price, but more important than people realize.

Which is why the franchise needs to only part with him if they can get a player like Kuminga, because you can be certain both Williams and Maluach aren't going to be able to play - and just as importantly contribute - in every game. Looking at the bigger picture and allowing Richards to start next season with the team could increase his trade value.

Looking at the numbers however and it may be that the eye test of Richards putting himself about and making an effort defensively masks the reality. The Suns allowed the fourth most points per game last season at 117.7, and the 27-year-old was added in part to try and combat this. Instead the team conceded a league-worst 123.8 points when Richards was on the court, a disaster.

The sample size is larger than you'd think at 36 games - with 34 starts - and that is a problem even if the team gave up on previous head coach Mike Budenholzer not long after he arrived in The Valley. Contrast that with Williams, although the 118.9 points the Hornets gave up when he was out there for them isn't much better either.

It is far from an ideal situation - and Richards clearly has his faults - but there's some logic to keeping him around unless the price is right. It's not like he's Jusuf Nurkic out there and has no upside, and the franchise added him for a reason at the deadline, even if he was the best option of a mediocre bunch to pursue. No need to ditch Richards so quickly this offseason.