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We’ve arrived at December 15, the date around the league that quietly signals the start of trade season. Players who signed extensions over the summer are now eligible to be included in deals, and even if nothing happens right away, the mental wheels start turning.
This does not impact most of the Phoenix Suns roster in a meaningful way. Still, it is enough to get the transactional imagination going as we look ahead to what this team could resemble by season’s end. The trade deadline is February 5, so there is no urgency from the organization to act. It remains a worthwhile exercise to explore possibilities and pressure points.
One name that has surfaced in recent trade chatter is Nick Richards. The fifth-year center out of Kentucky is averaging 3.4 points per game on 51.7% shooting in 9.4 minutes per night. He has fallen out of the rotation recently, and with a $5 million salary this season and unrestricted free agency looming, the natural question is what his market actually looks like if Phoenix decides to move him.
The early rumblings suggest the Suns would be open to moving Richards for multiple second round picks.
Size is always in demand around the league. Phoenix is one of the few teams that can say it has an abundance of it at center, with Mark Williams, Oso Ighodaro, and rookie Khaman Maluach all in the mix. As Maluach continues to develop, Richards increasingly becomes the expendable piece. Through 26 games, he has already found himself outside the regular rotation.
That brings us to today’s Suns Reacts poll. Would you trade Nick Richards for a couple of second round picks, or would you prefer to see Phoenix target a player in return instead? Let us know in the poll below.
