The Charlotte Hornets' eventful trade deadline this season began by shipping Nick Richards to the Phoenix Suns. It looked like a win-win deal for both teams, as the Hornets didn't appear to see the center as a part of their future, while the Suns needed an upgrade at the position in hopes of turning their season around.
Interestingly, the squads have become worse than expected two months following the trade. Of course, for Charlotte, it's by design, as it prioritized getting back as many assets as possible at the deadline to bolster its rebuild. As for Phoenix, it has fallen out of the play-in picture despite fielding a roster led by the Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.
Unfortunately for Richards, he might have to wait at least one more year before finally experiencing what it's like to suit up in the playoffs. It's not entirely his fault, though, as he wasn't brought in to be a franchise savior.
Nick Richards' defense will make him unplayable in key stretches
A look at the big man's production in a Suns uniform might show that he is what the doctor has ordered for the star-studded club. After all, in 28 appearances so far for Phoenix, with 27 of them as a starter, he has averaged a near-double-double of 10.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game on a 61.5 percent shooting clip.
An argument can be made, though, that Richards sometimes puts up empty stats, especially since the team is just 12-16 every time he plays. Moreover, lineups featuring him have typically been outscored by opponents, as his average plus/minus wearing a Suns jersey is -2.9. Only Beal is worse in the department among the club's current members.
Perhaps what could cause Suns fans to be concerned about Richards is his middling defensive skills, which frustrated a lot of the Hornets faithful during his stint in Charlotte. Sure, the Jamaican center can rebound the hell out of the ball on some nights and occasionally avoid being a cone on defense, such as when he logged three blocks against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
However, his on-and-mostly-off defense could impact Phoenix's hopes of making a deep postseason run. People shouldn't be surprised if Richards finds himself benched in favor of Oso Ighodaro, another former Hornet, Mason Plumlee, or even smaller players during key stretches. It doesn't help that the Suns have one of the toughest remaining strength of schedule, which includes bouts versus some of the best offensive squads in the league right now.
Let's not kid ourselves, though. Charlotte also faces plenty of questions at the five, but the organization certainly deserves praise for managing to flip Richards into a few assets before teams become wise to his glaring limitations.