6:43 pm: The trade is now official, according to press releases from the Suns and Hornets.
3:47 pm: The Suns and Hornets have agreed to a trade that will send center Nick Richards and a second-round draft pick to Phoenix in exchange for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Suns only have three tradable second-rounders on hand: Denver’s 2026 and 2031 selections, and Phoenix’s own 2031 pick. Those are the three picks headed to Charlotte in the deal.
According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), the pick being sent from the Hornets to the Suns is a 2025 selection. It will be the least favorable of Denver’s and Philadelphia’s picks, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Charania (Twitter link). Barring an unexpected development in the second half of this season, that figures to be the Nuggets’ second-rounder.
Richards, 27, has seen regular rotation minutes in Charlotte since the start of the 2022/23 campaign and served as the team’s primary starting center in ’23/24 with Mark Williams sidelined. So far this season, he has appeared in 21 games, averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 21.0 minutes per night.
Richards is on a team-friendly contract that pays him $5MM this season, with a $5MM non-guaranteed salary for next season. Okogie’s deal is also guaranteed in 2024/25 and non-guaranteed in ’25/26, but he’s earning $8.25MM this season, so the swap will reduce Phoenix’s projected end-of-season luxury tax bill by approximately $20MM, per cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), while giving the team an athletic option in the frontcourt.
Richards is expected to take over as the Suns’ starting center once he gets acclimated, tweets Gambadoro.
Reporting over the weekend indicated that the Suns and Hornets were in talks about a potential Richards trade that would send second-round draft capital to Charlotte.
Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic was believed to be part of those discussions, but the Hornets were likely unwilling to take on Nurkic’s contract, which has a significantly higher cap hit ($18.13MM) than Okogie’s and is also fully guaranteed for next season ($19.38MM). An Okogie/Richards swap is simpler from a cap perspective and doesn’t require Charlotte to include a second player.
Because they’re operating over the second tax apron, the Suns have limited options on the trade market this season. They’re not able to aggregate contracts or take back more salary than they send out. This deal meets those requirements while taking advantage of an Okogie contract that had been viewed as a probable trade chip since it was first signed in July. Not coincidentally, Okogie became trade-eligible on Wednesday.
Besides its newly acquired 2025 second-round pick, Phoenix’s only remaining tradable draft asset is its 2031 first-rounder. The front office figures to make that first-round selection available as the club continues to weigh its options on the market ahead of the February 6 deadline.
As Marks tweets, Phoenix will generate a $3.25MM trade exception as a result of this transaction. The Suns would be able to use that exception during the season, but not in the 2025 offseason as long as they continue to operate over the second apron.
As for the Hornets, after taking advantage of their significant breathing room below the luxury tax line to take on contracts and acquire three second-round picks from the Knicks in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster in the fall, they’re taking a similar path here, absorbing some extra salary in a deal for their backup center and netting multiple future second-rounders in the process.
Charlotte will still be operating $7MM+ below the tax line once this move is official, leaving the team with some flexibility to potentially facilitate another deal or two with a cap-strapped trade partner by Feb. 6.
While the Hornets are making this trade for the draft assets rather than for Okogie, the veteran swingman has been solid in limited minutes this season, averaging 6.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game across 25 outings, with career-high shooting percentages of 49.1% from the floor and 38.1% on three-pointers. He’s considered a versatile and above-average wing defender.
If Okogie isn’t part of Charlotte’s plans going forward, the club could look to flip him in the coming weeks, though he’ll be ineligible to have his salary aggregated with another player’s.
Why?
They need bigs who arent Nurk
My grade
Suns get B
Hornets get A
This deal would improves 3 wins for the Suns. If Suns are able to trade Nurkic and 2031 First for someone like Mile Bridges or Tobias Harris, they can be 6th seed and defeat Rockets in playoffs.
And then, if Heat buy out Butler at $45 million and Butler join the Suns, Suns could win the championship this June.
Like Lakers, Suns aims at nothing but the Title.
Jimmy has a player option, a big one, next season. If Phoenix or a Denver want Jimmy they’ll have to engage say a nets team who has a big trade exemption in a three team trade. Heat will probably have to include a first.
Beal contract is immovable. Suns have only 2031 First available for trade. That pick needs to give it to Heat.
Third team has no pick at all but Beal contract.
I didn’t mention Beal man. A Johnson, Bogdanovic and nets have a monstrous trade exemption. They can help facilitate a Butler to Phoenix pick involving Nurk and yes suns and heat probably need to include a 1st. It’s not impossible for a Phoenix or Denver to get Jimmy. Beal you 6th man brother.
@Nrg — PHX is a 2nd apron team (this year and will be next year as well). So, they can’t aggregate contracts to match Butler. They have to use a single matching contract (equal or larger than his).
Sillivan,
Hornets F Suns F.
Hornets could have possibly received more or better for this serviceable young athletic back up center. Suns “are nuts.”
Richards can ball. Just got hurt and slowed his trajectory. They are being he’s more than his numbers in Charlotte when he’s with them. Lob guy too. I like it. Keep Nurkic and let him clobber someone in the first round of the playoffs. Phx has players but not much depth. They might size up better against some but this didn’t move the needle for the rest of the season win total. But I like him for depth in the playoffs at a slot you might be able to get more minutes out of.
pogo I’ve seen a lot of Richards and you are not telling the full story. He’s less than his numbers as far as I’m concerned. Good athlete just don’t let him touch the basketball. Great garbage time highlights though.
Rich man’s Jaxson Hayes?
The Suns cant beat the Rockets in the playoffs lol
So the Sun flame out in the first round no matter what?
Suns copy 76ers
4 years ago, when 76ers signed Daryl Morey, 76ers have 6 first round picks and 11 Second round picks AVAILABLE for trade. Doc Rivers took the team to the #1 seed (nba standing).
76ers are not satisfied with #1 seed, then
Trade, trade, trade.
Now 76ers are 11th seed and have little assets for trade.
I wonder if the suns will try to buy out Nurkic. Doesn’t sound like anyone wants him or it would have been a 3 way trade.
Goes to show you how much they valued Ayton. They wanted him out of town so bad they took Nurkic as part of the exchange lol
Acquiring Nurkic made a ton of sense to the Suns because they had seen how badly they needed rebounding and toughness when playing CP3 + Booker + KD together with Ayton, and losing in the playoffs. The team was soft.
Then, Suns, replaced CP3, a dog, with Beal. Nurkic was an even better fit. Then new coach Vogel decides he wanted to start Grayson Allen, not a dog, with their Big 3. They need Nurkic even more.
Nurkic may lack something, but the Suns team has gotten softer since benching him. Now 26th in rebounding, and worst in the league is 2nd-chance points. Trading Okogie, a dog, isn’t going to help.
Suns’ Big 3 will not thrive because this team is soft.
Oh please. The Suns only benched Nurkic 6 games ago so he is very much a part of their rebound ranking. They might grab more rebounds if they could actually prevent shots from going in w/ Nurkic out there.
He is last on the team with -3.3 BPM.
If they are able to duck the second apron by waiving him with the stretch provision next summer they will do it. Otherwise he is just a salary matching asset sitting on the bench all next season. They won’t just cut him outright.
Suns mortgaged their entire future to lose in the 2nd round best case.
That Beal trade is looking even worse, considering how bad it was at the time of the trade, and when he lost his starting spot.
Beal coming off the bench is how that should have been to start the season. Put the ball in Jones’ hands or kick out to him when Booker or Durant has the ball. The lineup works better with Beal as the 6th man. He can still get 20+ off the bench. Might get more games out of him too
All they lost for Beal was Chris Paul. Sure Beal is taking up a HUGE spot in their cap space and that doesnt help at all but his trade isnt the reason they destroyed their future…
I’m good with Beal. He’s not the problem. But the Suns do miss CP3’s style of leadership.
Ice cream you probably noticed as I did that the suns were also rans for quite a while until Chris Paul came to town and brought them respectability and wins.
I think they thought Tyus would do the same thing.., a true point guard with all the shooters. Hasn’t quite worked out.
They lost a ton of picks and gave themselves little room to manufacture a good trade. Poor roster building, impatient owner. The KD trade depleted a ton. The Beal trade took whatever was left. They lacked a PG to run the offense. They’ve had poor perimeter defense. Poor rebounding and interior defense. Sorry but the $ amount going to Beal (a friggin bench guy) would be better served elsewhere.
This is a lesson on how not to run an NBA Franchise
I came here to say about the same thing.
I hate this for Phoenix. It’s a desperate move to get a slightly more effective player at the five spot at a massive cost.
This is beyond insane by the suns. You don’t get rid of Nurkić, you trade away all the second round pics you had available For the deadline and future trades, and you’re only slightly better with a guy who would be a back up center if Mark Williams was healthy.
This is a desperate move by a desperate team who will be in shambles in two years.
In My mind this is worse than the Cleveland Cavaliers of the 80’s when the league had to step in and stop the chaos.
I really want to know from Suns fans why Nurkic is benched. They didn’t get him to score.
Something strange is up.
Nurk is benched because he can’t defend and can’t finish. He never recovered from his 2019 broken leg.
Right. It seems like he lost his confidence or something. An injury which takes away some of your athleticism will do that to you. He’s a shadow of what his potential said he could be five years ago.
Gary, I get what you’re saying but second round picks are not worth much to any team. They’re thrown around like candy in every trade. Suns didn’t really give up anything of value here.
I think you’re right, but I have this thought. The way basketball has become global there’s more than 30 guys that are pretty good these days.
Maybe in 2008 or 2014 second round picks were of not much value but I think today you can find studs in the second round.
On the contrary, the Two-Way contract system and depth of fringe-level players has made most 2nd rounders possess only incremental value. Every team is bringing in undrafted players each season and the success rate on them isn’t exactly much worse than the 2nd rounders who end up signing 2-Ways.
They did because it represents the little remaining draft capital they have. In a vacuum it’s only net two seconds and they couldn’t expect much of a return on that, but even by those standards Richards isn’t a good get. He moves the needle by a microscope amount.
Also, I beg to differ than 2nds can’t be valuable if there would be a good chance they end up a the top of the 2nd. In many ways, those picks would be more valuable than late firsts. Obviously not talking about these 2nds in particular since they’re too far in the future to predict, although the 2031 picks could be valuable.
I would argue Richards is a massive upgrade over Plumlee/Nurkic.
Richards (Age 27): 17.5 PER, 61 TS%, 18 USG%, 12 ORB%, 27 DRB%, 6.7 BLK%
Career: 68 TS% on 15 USG% (i.e. in a normal offensive role, he won’t be looked at for any offensive creation in PHX)
Plumlee (Age 34): 13.7 PER, 59 TS%, 11 USG%, 10 ORB%, 29 DRB%, 4.0 BLK%
Nurkic (Age 30): 12.8 PER, 56 TS%, 19 USG%, 9 ORB%, 33 DRB%, 2.5 BLK%
Richards is a poor man’s Nic Claxton. He is entering his prime and is someone they can extend / re-sign and keep in the fold for 5 more years if they want.
Plumlee is just a worse/older version of Richards. Vet min guy at this point.
Nurk is just cooked as a rim protector and finisher, commits way too many fouls and turnovers, and he isn’t good enough of a shooter to make defenses care about his floor stretching.
I for one am a fan or RICHARDS as well. Not sure why charlotte moved him for some long distant future seconds.
To be honest I haven’t watched him play much. Mostly was going off of the Hornets sub: low bbiq, bad hands, numbers don’t tell the whole story. Then again the Hornets are a mess; maybe he cleans up some of that stuff in Phoenix.
Two SRPs (net) might be the right price. But why is CHA valuing SRPs over a guy who’s in their rotation as their principal backup C right now with a very team friendly contract that extends through next year. I would understand dealing him for a FRP, even if CHA sent PHX a bunch of 3’s, or even dispensing with a bad contract. Not this.
Richard is one of the few C’s rationally mentioned as a possible NYK target. I wouldn’t have blinked an eye if the NYK offered up Achiuwa (6 mm) for Richard (5.0 mm x 2 years) and a couple of SRP’s. IMO, Achiuwa is a better player than Okogie. The deal would also have allowed the NYK to immediately add TJ Warren, vs waiting until March.
Once again Hornets in familiar role Tank tank tank. Ttttttank.
Josh Okogie is probably starting for Charlotte by the end of the season.
Their wing rotation outside of Brandon Miller is Josh Green, Cody Martin, and Seth Curry. Okogie is easily a better defensive player than all of them.
Martin has been getting 26 MPG for the last two seasons while shooting 31% from three.
Richards was expendable w/ how good Mark Williams has looked since returning. They are selling high on him. He has only played 17 MPG since Williams re-entered the starting lineup.
I love Mark Williams, and I agree Richards was slowly becoming overrated as starting on a bad team can do.
But nothing helps a young C than having a tag team partner at the spot, particularly one with a skill set to implement the same game plan. C’s have a unique impact on team identity, and this looked like a good pairing. And a cheap one 9 and 11 mm this year and next. C’s get hurt more often too. IMO, team building trumps selling high, if high is 2 SRPs. But perhaps Okogie helps them more. We’ll see.
@DXC – they are in rebuild mode and only $7 million below the luxury tax with extensions coming up for Tre Mann, Mark Williams, and Brandon Miller. They can’t afford to pay Richards what he can get on the open market when he is extension eligible this summer so they are getting value for him now. He has less value on an expiring salary, and they can trade Okogie this summer for another second at least. a late first isn’t necessarily more valuable for a rebuilding franchise than a few far off seconds. Those picks can be used for sweeteners in up to three trades while that late first can only be used in one trade. Also, the Suns obviously valued Richards highly, but there was no chance they were trading their last first round pick. This is likely the best deal they were going to get.
I’m sure it was the best deal they could get. It’s what FO’s get paid to do, and it’s not that hard to survey 29 other teams. But I’d have liked to have kept both C’s for a few years as the team is built, for reasons I stated above.
Ha ha ha
Hmm, a team in dire need of a big, trading for one using one of their group of too-many guards and 2 2nd rounders, and a pick swap? Sounds like what Curry’s team should do!!!
Can you imagine Nick Richards on the floor in the 4th qtr of a playoff game? Lol and I thought Moses Moody as a starting 2 guard for a championship contender was a idea I didn’t like. Wow !!
Richards is a stiff
What are the Suns thinking. They use their very last picks on this?
I get the desperation at center, but blowing what little draft capital they have on a braindead move like this weeks ahead of the deadline is about as desperate as a team can get. Sad.
Not exactly a pick swap when the 2nd going back to Phoenix will be pick #55 or later. PHX just wanted that pick so they can have a player on the roster making less than the vet minimum to save luxury tax $$$
What happened Rob, LeDork did not approve?
Stop that nonsense. Lakers also just sent their 2nds for Dorian and Shake. They sure as sh*t weren’t sending a 1st for Richards
Lakers and Suns both have both decided this is their last year of the NBA.
Otherwise why would they both trade all their remaining second rounds for so little help.
Lakers and Suns and Clippers can start an old folks league for veterans on minimum deals.
Hey! The Clippers have actually shown you can survive a bad decision and look pretty good this year.
Just a quick reminder –
Austin Reaves: UNDRAFTED
Alex Caruso: UNDRAFTED
Jalen Hood-Schifino: #17 Pick
Bronny James: #55 Pick
Notable Undrafted Players in the NBA:
Caleb Martin, Ricky Council IV, A.J. Green, Dean Wade, Max Strus, Luke Kornet, Scotty Pippen Jr, Jay Huff, John Konchar, Garrison Mathews, Duncan Robinson, Drew Eubanks, Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Naji Marshall, Jamison Battle, Jae’Sean Tate, Alex Caruso, Naz Reid, Gary Payton II, Lindy Waters III
SRPs are only good in the 31-35 range where you can still get first round talent, everything else is just as much of a crapshoot as it’s always been.
Suns traded 3 2nd’s for a guy who was Plumlee’s backup just 2 seasons ago. Richards ain’t doing anything for them except lowering that luxury tax bill (20 million ain’t nothin’)
Richards is a dumb player with bad hands, KD might ask to be traded by the deadline lolol
Is he just plain dumb, or Eldon Campbell dumb?
Psych I don’t like that word for basketball players. But yes to the first part of the question.
Richards is a rim protector who is a solid rebounder. Exactly what Suns need. Makes them better for sure. Knicks have been scouting Richards too. This is a good move. Considering Suns don’t have many moves to make.
Yeah I like this for Phoenix.
Al
Nurkic has been one of the top 5 defensive centers in the league for last 5 years. That’s why he makes $20M.
Richards will always be backup on one of the worst teams in league. Plumlee is a big step ahead of Richards and a big step behind Nurkic.
There is no way palying Richards makes Suns better at C with Nurkic and Plumlee available. Richards will be a backup when one those guys is gone.
Nurkic is not mobile enough to be defensive center in today’s gm. He’s overpaid for what he can give you. Doesn’t run the floor. At 26 yrs old Richards is a better fit. Per 36 mins his stats are better. Then for his contract gives you way more value. Again this is about fit. Richards is a better fit. I’ve watched Richards enough to know. He still has upside. And right now imo is a better center than Nurkic. Richards can be another Mitch with better mobility and offense. So again he’s worth it to Suns. Especially at his contract.
> Nurkic is not mobile enough to be defensive
> center in today’s gm.
If you’re saying Nurkic can’t defend well in space, sure, but neither can Richards.
But you have to appreciate the Suns current problems. They’re 25th in rebounding. They give up a league worst 18 2nd-chance points per game.
Nurkic is one of the best defensive rebounders in basketball, and that’s what the Suns need most because of the rest of their lineup. If you want to play Beal, Booker, Allen and KD together, you need a monster rebounder. That’s why Suns fans are wondering why Nurkic isn’t playing.
(What may not appreciate about Nurkic is his rim protector, he’s been in the top 5-8 centers for the past 5 years in opponents’s shooting percentage.)
Oh please, Richards CLOWNED Nurkic on January 7th, the last game Nurk played before being benched for good.
link to youtube.com
Nurkic was -22 in 19 mins (8 pts, 3 rebs, 5 fouls, 3-6 FG, 0-0 FT)
Richards was +23 in 25 mins (15 pts, 12 rebs, 3 blks, 4-6 FG, 7-8 FT)
Bad news Sniper. You missed.
Nurkic has been a BOTTOM 5 defensive center the last 5 years.
2025 (PHX): 25th
2024 (PHX): 13th
2023 (POR): 27th
2022 (POR): 30th
2021 (POR): 29th
Anyone who would describe Nurkic as a top 5 defensive center AT ANY POINT IN HIS CAREER has clearly never seen Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Brook Lopez, Jarrett Allen, or even Nic Claxton just to name a scant few.
Phoenix is really trying to become the first team that I can recall to trade all their tradable picks (1’s and 2’s) lmao
You might not be old enough to remember the Cleveland Cavaliers of the early 80s. League had to step in and remove all sharp objects.
You’re not the first to compare Matt Ishbia to Ted Stepien of the early 80’s Cavs. Ishbia makes inexplicable moves that appear to mortgage his team’s future to a degree not seen since Stepien. But they may not be so inexplicable if you know about Ishbia’s history.
The NBA created the “Stepien Rule” to stop teams from trading first round picks in consecutive years. No owner since has pushed that rule as much as Ishbia.
If you can’t understand what a smart guy like Ishbia is doing, consider that Ted Stepien claimed that there was no risk in trading away the future because the NBA would need to “bail out” any non-competitive franchises.
Sure enough, in forcing Stepien to sell the Cavs in 1983, the NBA gave the new ownership 3 high first round picks (effectively out of thin air) to make it viable. Later, we learned that Stepien made a nice profit from a supposed failure.
Keep in mind that Ishbia’s company, UWM, is in the wholesale mortgage lending business, focusing on “near-prime” and sub-prime loans. Like Stepien, he assumes more risk because he has a bail-out option.
I don’t get it for the HORNETS ……. Richards is a good piece off the bench, has one of the best value contracts around.
Okogie fills the void of Grant, but it’s not as if they’re in any playoff race, they’re tanking hard.
They’re selling high on Richards. Two second round picks !!
And taking for draft ….
Nurkic is way better than Richards, so a pointless trade, right?
With no picks whatsoever up to 2031, the only way for the Suns to escape mediocrity is to trade Durant (while he still has some value) or Booker. The sooner they realize, the better.
Umm that’s not Jimmy Butler…C’mon Phoenix do it already!
If you can explain how the Phoenix Suns can acquire Jimmy Butler and also make it so the Miami Heat don’t hang up the phone in your face, I would be extremely impressed.
How is Phoenix going to have a roster when they vets inevitably retire, certainly sooner than 2031?
With only a couple first round pics every other year and seemingly all their seconds gone, they probably have to hold tryouts down at the YMCA in October 2030.