Suns acquire Hornets C Nick Richards, trade Josh Okogie and draft picks
Jan 15, 2025, 2:55 PM | Updated: 5:48 pm
The Phoenix Suns have agreed to trade Josh Okogie and all three of their trade-eligible second-round picks for Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards, Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro first reported. Phoenix will get a second-round pick originating from Denver in the 2025 draft.
Richards, a 2020 second-round pick, has been quietly impactful in Charlotte over the past three years as a rim-roller — he shot 69% last season — and rebounder.
The 7-footer is averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 21 minutes per game this season while shooting 56% overall.
Gambadoro adds Richards will start for Phoenix once he’s acclimated.
Phoenix makes the move the first day Okogie was trade eligible and as they rank last over the past 10 games in offensive rebound rate and second-chance points allowed. That is tied to Jusuf Nurkic missing time due to suspension, illness and a relegation to the bench.
Starter Mason Plumlee and rookie Oso Ighodaro have filled in at center without Nurkic.
The Suns’ second-round picks send out include a 2026 and a 2031 pick via Denver, plus Phoenix’s own in 2031.
Josh Okogie sent out in Suns’ trade for Nick Richards
Okogie has two years left on his current deal. He is earning $8.25 million this season and is set to earn $7.7 million next season on a non-guaranteed contract.
Known for his perimeter defense and hustle, Okogie will be a valuable asset for the Hornets on a team-friendly contract that pays out $8.3 million this year with a non-guaranteed $7.8 million next year.
He’s averaging 6.0 points while shooting 49% from the field and 38% from 3-point range, both career highs.
After playing in 72 games and making 26 starts in 2022-23, then playing in 60 games and making 11 starts in 2023-24, he has appeared in 25 games this season and made just one start. He is also averaging 14 minutes per game, down from the 17.4 minutes he averaged over his first two seasons in Phoenix.
Okogie initially signed with the Suns in July 2022 before signing a two-year contract extension last summer.
Before his time in Phoenix, Okogie spent four seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He was taken by Minnesota with the No. 20 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Okogie played at Georgia Tech from 2016-18 and was selected to the ACC All-Freshman Team in 2017 and third team All-ACC as a sophomore in 2018.