Despite holding a lead entering the fourth quarter during Sunday night's contest, the Charlotte Hornets were unable to maintain their momentum against the Phoen

Phoenix was looking to include center Jusuf Nurkic in the trade talks for Richards and coveted Hornets swingman Cody Martin, league sources told HoopsHype.Source: HoopsHype What’s the buzz

The 27-year-old Richards, who is averaging 8.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game this season, could be the Suns' new starting center.

According to Forbes’ Evan Sidery, the immediate expectation is for Nick Richards and Oso Ighodaro to become the Suns’ new center rotation. Sidery also mentioned that by making this move, the Suns will now upgrade their athleticism in the frontcourt.

The Charlotte Hornets will be back at it tonight as they continue their West Coast road trip against the shorthanded Utah Jazz. Here is how our staff sees tonight's game playing out. This is ...

“The Suns face similar challenges with the suddenly out-of-favor Jusuf Nurkić ... a team like Charlotte to take on Nurkić's contract for a package headlined by in-demand Hornets big man ...

The Phoenix Suns may have made a trade for him late Wednesday evening before the team clashes against the Washington Wizards, but newly-acquired center Nick Richards’ debut for his new team will have to wait for another day.

The Phoenix Suns reportedly tried to include their veteran center in the trade package used to acquire Nick Richards, but they were unable to do so due to a concerning reason.

In the move, the Suns acquired Richards and a second-round pick from the Hornets for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks. This was a solid trade for Phoenix as they not only added a solid new center for cheap, but they also freed up cap space in the move.

If Nick Richards doesn't help the Suns right the ship this season, they soon may be facing existential questions about the core of their roster.

The addition of Richards is a sign the Suns are still going for it this season, as they still have the big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal in place. The trio has had to help out in terms of the team's big man responsibilities, and now there's a chance they can scale back on such endeavors and focus more on offensive output.