Hornets-Suns rating deal for Nick Richards, Josh Okogie

The Charlotte Hornets are a shopping center Nick Richards and a second round pick for Josh Okogie from the Phoenix Suns and the three spades of the second round, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. As a starter, Richards averaged 11.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in nine starts. While Okogie comes to Charlotte and can provide more depth on the wings, it’s not necessarily imperative. It seems like a solid deal for both parties, but let’s break it down a bit more with some ratings.

Category of hornets: B-

The Hornets get a B- for several reasons. Richards has been a highly desirable name since last season. Teams like the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers and others have been linked with acquiring his services. The Suns made the best offer, and with Phoenix’s recent struggles on the interior defense, he can come in and make an impact. Josh Okogie is not chopped liver though. He can come in and play in this defensive system that coach Charles Lee is trying to develop.

Okogie is just not the main part of the business. Getting three picks in the second round is the sweetest part of the job. These are future funds that can be used as leverage in trade negotiations. Ever since Jeff Peterson took over as the Hornets’ GM, he’s stocked them in every deal he’s made so far. However, no major impact players were brought in in exchange for the short term.

Sun class: A-

The Phoenix Suns’ championship roster isn’t getting any wider, so getting a center slaps the tape for an immediate need. After benching Jusuf Nurkic last week, it appears Richards could step into a starting role over time with a possible title contending team. The Suns are currently 19-20 and could use his help as they continue their push to make the postseason.

Phoenix is ​​the team with the last five in rebounds this year and 19th in the number of points for the opponent in the season so far. Along with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the rest of the team, Richards is a nice addition on paper. However, many assumed the Suns would make a bigger move for a star by potentially moving away from Bradley Beal. With that no-trade clause in his contract, that’s going to be pretty hard to do.

The reality of the Hornets season

At this point in the season, at 8-28, the Hornets are making it clear that the time is right to compete next year. Nick Richards may have been one of the better backup centers in the NBA. Along with Mark Williams, they form a nice pair of centers who can do similar things – protect the rim on defense and roll to the rim on offense.

Sacrificing such assets for more capital shows that Jeff Peterson and the rest of the organization are playing the long game. They’re taking a seller’s approach to moving from high-value players to plenty 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. Moving players who don’t fit into the long-term draft plan makes a lot of sense. Either way, it appears to be a win-win trade for both the Phoenix Suns and Charlotte Hornets.