NBA Trades: The Phoenix Suns land Nick Richards in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets but the team's deadline work is far from over.
As it quickly became apparent that it was time to move on from Jusuf Nurkic, the whispers began to point to the Phoenix Suns scouring the market for a new starting center. The Suns may have found one as they completed a trade with the Charlotte Hornets. It may not be the deal most were hoping for but the Suns do get a new potential contributor that they. can now insert into the starting 5.
The Suns traded Josh Okogie and three second-round picks to the Hornets in exchange for Nick Richards. In his fifth season with the Hornets, Richards was averaging nine points and eight rebounds on 56 percent shooting from the field. It's unclear if he will immediately become the starter for the Suns at the 5, but he will effectively give them some options moving forward.
On the surface, this deal seems like the win for both Phoenix and Charlotte. The Suns needed some energy in the frontcourt and will certainly get that with the addition of Richards. On the other hand, the Hornets looked to sell off some of the veterans on their roster for future assets. They accomplished that by acquiring three second-round picks from the Suns. However, with the NBA Trade Deadline still weeks away, this could only be the beginning for both teams - and specifically the Suns.
Other big moves the Phoenix Suns could be eyeing
For the past few weeks, the Suns have been discussed as the preferred landing spot for Jimmy Butler. Even though the path toward such a deal is difficult to envision, I do believe that the longer and uglier this saga gets, the more likely it is to happen. They still need to find a landing spot for Bradley Beal, which could be the key to a deal getting done, and all sides do know that.
Will the Suns land Jimmy before the trade deadline? Who knows. But it's absolutely something the Suns are clearly still working on. In addition, after this deal, you can't help but wonder where that leaves Jusuf Nurkic, who was rumored to potentially be a part of this deal just a few days ago. Now that it's clear he's not a part of the deal, it will be interesting to see what's next for the veteran big.
Does this move mean the Suns have another potential play for Nurkic ahead of the deadline? Does this mean there's absolutely no market for him and they're pretty much stuck at this point? It's hard to predict but you can bet that we're going to get these answers pretty soon. This is a solid first move for the Suns but there's no question this team still has plenty of work (and hope) ahead of the February 6 NBA Trade Deadline.