During Week 13, the Blazers will play four games, beginning with the Heat on Tuesday. With Mark Williams firmly entrenched as Charlotte’s starting center, Richards needed a move to have a chance of establishing his fantasy ceiling.

Richards - coupled with rookie stud Oso Ighodaro - will inject a very pointed surge of athleticism into the Suns' lineup. Last season Nick Richards had more dunks (120) than Nurkic and Plumlee combined (100) in 1000 fewer minutes.

The Suns made a move to acquire Nick Richards from the Hornets, but some people are more skeptical of the move than expected.

The Phoenix Suns acquired Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards and a 2025 NBA draft second-round pick on Wednesday in exchange for wing player Josh Okogie and three future second-round NBA draft selections. Richards is averaging 8.9 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game this season, in 21 minutes of action per game.

The Charlotte Hornets traded Nick Richards to the Phoenix Suns in a move that was widely panned as a win-win for both sides. Charlotte flipped Richards for an active, defensive-minded wing in Josh Okogie and a handful of future second round draft picks, while Phoenix added an interior reinforcement to their championship-contending roster.

The deal - which sent Josh Okogie and multiple second-round picks to Charlotte in exchange for Richards and a 2025 second-round pick - has been well received on the Suns' end by n

The Phoenix Suns' center rotation was in a dire state recently. Phoenix hopes trading for Nick Richards from the Charlotte Hornets will help ease their concerns.

Richards will come off the bench in his Phoenix debut as the backup center to Mason Plumlee. However, it wouldn't be surprising for Richards to fight for a starting job moving forward as he acclimates to his new team. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc.

Kevin Durant scored 30 of his 36 points in the second half, and the Phoenix Suns defeated the Detroit Pistons 125-121.

This game marked the Suns debut for Nick Richards after he was acquired from the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. Richards came off the bench and made a huge impact with 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting, 11 rebounds and was a team-high plus-22 in 30 minutes.

Debuting for the first time as a member of the Phoenix Suns, center Nick Richards couldn’t have had a better start with his new team and showed how the trade could help the Suns make a push up the standings.