Grading Hornets-Suns deal for Nick Richards, Josh Okogie
Yesterday at 06:27 PM
The Charlotte Hornets are trading center Nick Richards and a second-round pick for the Phoenix Suns’ Josh Okogie and three second-round picks, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. As a starter, Richards is averaging 11.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in nine starts. While Okogie comes into Charlotte and can provide more depth at the wing spots, it is not necessarily imperative. It seems like a solid deal for both sides, but let’s break it down a little more in-depth with some grades.
Hornets grade: B-
The Hornets get a B- for a few reasons. Richards had been a highly coveted name since last season. Teams like the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, and others have been linked to acquiring his services. The Suns made the best offer, and with Phoenix’s recent struggles with interior defense, he can come in and make an impact. Josh Okogie isn’t chopped liver, though. He can come in and play in this defensive system coach Charles Lee is trying to develop.
Okogie is just not the main piece in the deal. Getting the three second-round picks is the sweetest piece of the trade. These are future assets that can be used as leverage in trade talks. Since Jeff Peterson has taken over as the Hornets’ GM, he’s stockpiled them in each deal he’s made so far. Still, no major impact player was brought in return for the short-term.
Suns grade: A-
The Phoenix Suns’ championship window isn’t getting any wider, so getting a center slaps a bandaid over an immediate need. After benching Jusuf Nurkic last week, it seems like Richards could step into a starting role over time with a possible championship contending team. The Suns are currently 19-20 and could use his help as they continue their push to make the postseason.
Phoenix is a bottom five team in rebounding this year and 19th in opponent points in the paint so far this season. Alongside Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and the rest of the team, Richards is a nice addition on paper. However, many were assuming the Suns would make a bigger move for a star by potentially moving on from Bradley Beal. With that no trade clause in his contract, that’ll be pretty hard to do.
The reality of the Hornets’ season
At this point in the season, sitting at 8-28, the Hornets are making it clear that the real time to compete is next year. Nick Richards may very well have been one of the better backup centers in the NBA. Alongside Mark Williams, they formed a nice pairing of centers that can do similar things — protect the rim on defense and roll to the rim on offense.
Sacrificing such an asset for more draft capital shows that Jeff Peterson and the rest of the organization are playing the long game. They are taking a seller’s approach to moving on from high value role-players for an abundance of picks to facilitate future deals, which isn’t a bad strategy at all.
With LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller on the roster, the plan will likely be to build a contender around them by any means necessary. Flipping players who don’t fit the long-term plan for picks makes a lot of sense. Either way, it seems like a win-win trade for both the Phoenix Suns and Charlotte Hornets.
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