In a little bit of a twist, the Phoenix Suns and Charlotte Hornets completed a trade earlier this evening. While the trade wasn’t what was expected, the Suns still got their “big man,” in Nick Richards,

The Phoenix Suns made their first trade of the season, acquiring Nick Richards from the Charlotte Hornets. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Phoenix sent Josh Okogie and three second-round picks to the Hornets for Richards and one second-round pick.

The Charlotte Hornets traded backup center Nick Richards and a second-round draft pick to the Phoenix Suns for guard Josh Okogie and three second-round draft picks on Wednesday night.

Nick Richards is no longer with the Charlotte Hornets. The 27-year-old big man had been the center of countless mock trades and rumors, and the Hornets unofficially opened the floodgates for trades by parting ways with the former Kentucky Wildcat.

He'll compete with the rotating starting centers already in Phoenix: Mason Plumlee, rookie Oso Ighodaro and Jusuf Nurkic, who is currently sidelined with the flu. The Charlotte Hornets are trading ...

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.

Devin Booker scored 30 points, Kevin Durant added 27 and the Phoenix Suns rallied in the final minutes to beat the Charlotte Hornets 120-113 on Sunday night.

The Charlotte Hornets have traded center Nick Richards and one second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Josh Okogie and three second-round

The Suns are starting Tyus Jones, Devin Booker, rookie Ryan Dunn, Kevin Durant and Mason Plumlee for a fourth straight game. The Suns are 2-1 with this lineup since Suns coach Mike Budenholzer benched Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic and replaced them in the lineup with Dunn and Plumlee.

The Suns have made moves within the roster with their bigs in benching Jusuf Nurkic, starting Mason Plumlee and having rookie Oso Ighodaro see action as a backup, but the addition of Richards gives them a center who can come in right away and start.

The Phoenix Suns have acquired center Nick Richards from the Charlotte Hornets, the team announced Wednesday. In exchange, the Hornets have acquired guard Josh Okogie, the Suns' 2

The Hornets helped make the Suns aware of just how badly they needed a center. They're trying to stay afloat in the West, but Mason Plumlee wasn ... Images This gives Charlotte more options ...