2. Nick Richards, C, Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets have young players worth holding on to, as the LaMelo Ball/Brandon Miller partnership is coming along smoothly while center Mark Williams looks solid in his limited time. If The Raptors need to get a third team involved to facilitate a deal, Charlotte makes a ton of sense as that team.
Richards is averaging 9.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. While his defense can be very hit and miss on a poor Hornets team, his ability to swat shots at the rim and rebound the ball well could give Toronto some piece of mind as they finally secure a solid backup center behind Poeltl.
Nick Richards could be a backup center for the Toronto Raptors.
While Jontay Porter looks like a solid backup NBA player, his inability to score efficiently will likely be held against him to some degree. Richards is a bad passer and has no game outside of the paint, but his bruising style in the paint could make him a double-double threat for extended minutes.
Richards is signed to a fairly affordable contract, and his improved production suggests that he could be a quality role player on a team that eventually turns into a winner. The Raptors won't have to burn another draft pick on a developmental big man if they secure Richards through trading.