Kevin Durant's reaction to huge Suns, Nick Richards trade
01/16/2025 03:30 PM
When Nick Richards was traded to the Phoenix Suns, it addressed a very crucial need. Rebounding.
No one felt it as much as Suns forward Kevin Durant. The all-star explained to AZCentral’s Duane Rankin during Thursday’s morning shoot around how Richards helps Phoenix mightily in the paint.
"He's a strong presence in the paint, a big body that can wreak havoc down there and cause some problems with his rim protection. Getting his hands on the basketball on the offensive glass and then finishing above the rim. It's something we all have to get better at as a group. Hopefully, he leads us in that area. Just controlling the paint."
Phoenix has had three games this season where they’ve allowed 20 or more offensive rebounds in a game. Most notably, their recent game came against the Atlanta Hawks. While Onyeka Okongwu had a 20-point and 20-rebound game off the bench, it highlighted a deeper need for the team.
Ever since the Suns benched Jusuf Nurkic, the rebounding presence has been missed. Although backup centers Mason Plumlee and Oso Ighodaro have done all they can do, they’re not physical like Nurkic. And they’re certainly not physical like Richards can be.
Nick Richards trade helps the Suns with rebounding
Although he’s mostly come off the bench, Richards has shown what he can do when he’s a starter. For instance, when the Suns traveled to Charlotte, the big man had the starting nod. He posted 15 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, and a +23 in the box score.
Besides his physicality, he presented problems as a lob threat, something that point guard Tyus Jones will be excited to have. He hasn’t had a consistent lob threat all season. Bringing Richards into the fold helps the point guard run the pick-and-roll much more effectively.
Following the move, Phoenix still didn’t trade away Nurkic. Despite that though, it’s clear that Richards will slide his way into the rotation. It’s not clear as of writing this where he will be. He could come off the bench or he could start. There’s no telling at this point.
Richards likely won’t be available until Saturday’s game against the Detroit Pistons. He’ll have to clear physicals first before joining the team on its longest road trip of the season. Once they get the former Charlotte big man, some of those rebounding troubles should disappear before anyone knows it.
For at least Thursday’s game, they’ll have to wait until Richards is available.
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