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Former Kentucky star Nick Richards traded to NBA contender

FaceProfileby:Thomas Goldkamp•about 11 hours
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Photo by Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

A former Kentucky star is on the move in the NBA, with center Nick Richards part of a deal that will send him from the Charlotte Hornets to the Phoenix Suns.

In the deal, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Charlotte will send Richards and one second-round pick to Phoenix for forward Josh Okogie and three second-round picks.

Nick Richards has turned into one of the more productive centers in the league.

In addition to averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 blocks per game, the former Kentucky star is also shooting 65% from the floor over the last four seasons, a mark that puts him fifth in the NBA during that span, per ESPN Research.

Richards has started nine of the 21 games he has appeared in this season.

He recently logged a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds in a win over the Suns, so they’ve seen what he can do up close and personal.

Nick Richards has turned in five double-doubles this season.

Kentucky capable of winning it all?

While Nick Richards is on the move in the NBA, something tells us he’s kept a close eye on Kentucky this season. And he has to be liking what he’s seeing so far, especially after a big win over No. 11 Texas A&M on Tuesday night.

Following that game, Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams had nothing but praise for his SEC counterpart.

Kentucky is 14-3 on the season after their win against Texas A&M, as they took down Williams’ team, which possessed a ton of momentum heading into the game. They’re now 3-1 inside the SEC as well, and the Aggies coach believes the Wildcats can go very, very far when it’s all said and done.

“They’re good enough to win the national championship,” Williams said of Kentucky. “I think they play with great spirit. I think their coach has a phenomenal spirit. I think how he leads is the appropriate way, in 2025. You can tell. You can tell how they compete. You can tell how they play. You can tell watching their huddles. You can tell how they’re in and out of substitutions.

“That spirit, I know it’s not a stat, but I think the spirit is probably just as important as the stats, just from listening to coach and learning from coach, I think those things are correlated.”