What Nick Richards Brings to Suns

While Richards doesn't have an extremely refined offensive repertoire, the athletic boost alone should make it easier for the ball-handlers on the perimeter.

It has been much easier for opposing defenses to throw various blitz/collapse coverages on Phoenix with either Jusuf Nurkic OR Mason Plumlee on the floor - but with Richards and Ighodaro it will be much more difficult to do so on a consistent basis, simply due to both being consistent lob threats.

This won't only benefit the Suns on offense though - there will be more about the other side of the ball below.

Rim Protection Upside

While a common criticism of Richards in a Hornets uniform was his propensity to fall asleep in key moments in help side defense, he certainly wasn't in an optimal situation to utilize his athleticism/IQ in an ideal fashion.

Richards has both a better scheme and better personnel to surround him - from Ryan Dunn, to Royce O'Neale, and even Durant.

The new Sun will have the resources to better showcase what he can truly do on the defensive side of the ball - as a player that already cedes sub-50% shooting percentages on twos this season.

Rebounding

Richards could certainly help with the perpetual issue that Phoenix has had throughout much of its history - rebounding at a high level.

The Suns allowed both the Hornets and Atlanta Hawks to grab 20 offensive boards within the last week alone - Plumlee/Ighodaro simply aren't enough to fortify a weakness that glaring.

Richards was second in Charlotte when it came to defensive rebounding % at 22.8, while also being a serviceable contributor on the offensive glass as well.

If Phoenix can clean up the stretch of atrocious rebounding, it is certainly conceivable that they can rattle off a number of victories in the coming weeks - and Richards can contribute to that moving forward.

It appears likely that the franchise debut for Richards will come on Saturday afternoon against the Detroit Pistons - expect him to see a sizable role against Detroit C Jalen Duren in the process.