The Los Angeles Lakers have had ample time and opportunity to find the interior complement that Anthony Davis has long been asking for. It’s the harsh reality facing the Lakers’ front office, as Davis has been requesting to spend more time at power forward since 2023.
Unfortunately, the perfect player to complement Davis was overlooked by the Lakers and instead traded to the rival Phoenix Suns—and he’s already making Los Angeles look bad for its indecision.
Prior to arriving in Phoenix, Nick Richards looked the part of an immaculate potential Lakers trade acquisition. He’s owed just $10 million between 2024-25 and 2025-26, and the Charlotte Hornets lacked any discernable leverage in negotiations due to their well-documented preference for Mark Williams as their starting center.
Unfortunately, it was the Suns that acted on acquiring Richards rather than the Lakers, and thus the void at the 5-spot remains in Los Angeles.
Richards has hit the ground running in Phoenix, appearing in seven games and starting six. He’s justified the investment by producing and performing in the exact manner that the Lakers would’ve asked him to.
Richards has even shown the capacity for a form of interior dominance that the Lakers haven’t seen from a player other than Davis in quite some time.
Thus far in 2024-25, Richards is averaging 9.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.5 offensive boards, 1.2 assists, and 1.1 blocks in just 22.0 minutes per game. Those are impressive numbers considering they translate to 15.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, 4.1 offensive boards, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 blocks per 36 minutes.
Since arriving in Phoenix, Richards has proven that the per-36 hype is less speculation and more a valid belief in what he can provide on a nightly basis.
In seven games with the Suns, Richards is posting marks of 11.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.9 offensive boards, and 0.9 blocks in 25.1 minutes per game. That would put him at fifth on the Lakers in scoring, second in rebounding and blocks, and first in offensive boards.
That alone offers reason for regret, but it’s the peaks that Richards has managed to reach that should have the Lakers sick to their stomachs.
In his first game with the Suns, Richards dropped 21 points, 11 rebounds, and four offensive boards in a win over the Detroit Pistons. Two games later, he posted eight points, 15 rebounds, and four offensive boards in just under 22 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets.
The very next game, he tallied 20 points, 19 rebounds, and a block in a win over the Washington Wizards—and put up 14 points, 16 rebounds, and two blocks against the Golden State Warriors just six days later.
In Los Angeles, that level of production has been exclusive to Davis for several seasons. Expecting anyone to go off on a regular basis is unfair, but Richards is a proven commodity as a rebounder, a plus rim protector, and a generally positive influence playing for just $5 million per season.
Considering the Suns gave up three second-round picks and even got one back from the Hornets in the trade to acquire Richards, the Lakers can officially say they made a massive mistake.
