Nick Richards is being traded to Phoenix Suns, will team up with Devin Booker

A former Kentucky Wildcat is headed out West.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Charlotte Hornets are trading Nick Richards to the Phoenix Suns. Now in year five as a pro, Richards has appeared in 21 games this season for the Hornets, including nine starts. The seven-footer is averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game this season on 56.1 percent shooting.

Along with Richards, the Suns also traded for one second-round pick from Charlotte. The Hornets will receive guard Josh Okogie and three second-round picks.

The Charlotte Hornets are trading 7-foot center Nick Richards and one second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/RwPGJH5lzo

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 15, 2025

An early-season rib injury slowed Richards down to start the 2024-25 campaign. He was averaging 13.5 points and 11.8 rebounds across his first four games of the season before getting injured in game five and missing the following 14 contests. He has five double-doubles on the season, the most recent one coming against his new team just a little over a week ago.

In making the move from Charlotte to Phoenix, Richards will be going from one of the worst teams in the entire league to one hunting for a playoff bid. That being said, the Suns are only 19-20 on the season, which puts them at 11th in the Western Conference and one spot out of the Play-In. Richards should play a significant role right away though, possibly as the starting center. Phoenix’s current starting big man, 30-year-old Jusuf Nurkic, is having his least productive season since 2015-16 and is on the trade block.

Richards will team up with a couple of UK alums in Phoenix: Devin Booker and TyTy Washington. Booker is one of the Suns’ star players alongside Kevin Durant. He’s currently posting 25.2 points per outing. As for Washington, he’s appeared in just four games for the Suns this season as he’s spent most of his time in the G League.

After spending three seasons at Kentucky (2017-20), Richards was a second-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He’s been on the Hornets ever since with career averages of 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on 64.9 percent overall shooting. Now with the Suns, he has a chance to make his first-ever postseason appearance.