3 young players the Toronto Raptors must target in Bruce Brown trade talks
By Mike Luciano
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.