There was some belief Richards the Suns just snagged their new starting center, and Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro says Richards will indeed be inserted into the lineup when ready. ESPN's Shams Charania also is reporting the same thing.

Suns point guard Tyus Jones said it best — they can’t keep getting beat in the rebounding department. So the Nick Richards trade with the Hornets makes sense.

The Suns bolster their depth by adding Richards, who is expected to serve as a backup center. The 7-footer is averaging 11.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in nine starts with the Hornets this season.