The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly held trade talks with the Phoenix Suns surrounding Nick Richards, per insider Brett Siegel.
The seven-footer would fill a gap that L.A. has prioritized this offseason, as they desperately need front-court help.
The Lakers were reportedly engaged in trade talks surrounding a center, per ESPN insider Dave McMenamin, as the picture now gets clearer as to who the team wants to target.
Richards, a 27-year-old from Jamaica, spent the first four seasons of his career with the Charlotte Hornets, before being dealt to the Phoenix Suns this past January.
Richards put up 9.3 points and 8.2 boards to go along with one block per game on average across his time with both teams this season. He shot 59 percent from the field during 22 minutes per game this season, down from a 69 percent field goal percentage across 26.3 minutes per game the season prior.
McMenamin spoke on the Lakers’ desire to acquire a center this offseason, perhaps looking to the trade market if the free agency class didn’t have the right solution.
“I’ll say this, I spoke to someone with knowledge of the Lakers thinking going into day two of free agency, and it’s not just trying to address the center position through a free agent signing,” McMenamin said. “I know one of the scenarios involves another team also dealing with the team that has the center, and the Lakers feel like when, and if that trade goes through, there will be a surplus center on the roster, and the Lakers will be able to negotiate for that.”
Since superstar Luka Doncic’s arrival in the City of Angels, seemingly every young center has been linked to the purple and gold. As free agency deals are starting to go through around the league, the number of viable centers shrinks.
An efficient center is just what the Lakers need at this point of the offseason, but perhaps the Suns are using the desperate nature of L.A.’s front-court to leverage more out of the team in a would-be deal.
