January 15, 2025 – The Charlotte Hornets have made a significant move in the NBA trade market. Jeff Peterson, President of Basketball Operations for the team, announced that guard Josh Okogie and three second-round draft picks have been acquired from the Phoenix Suns. In return, the Hornets will send center Nick Richards and a second-round draft pick to Phoenix.
Josh Okogie, originally from Lagos, Nigeria, has played seven seasons in the NBA with both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns. Over his career, he has averaged 6.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game across 401 appearances. This season with the Suns, he participated in 25 games and posted averages of 6.0 points and 2.9 rebounds while maintaining a shooting percentage of 38.1 percent from beyond the arc.
The Hornets are set to receive second-round picks from Denver in both 2026 and 2031, along with another second-round pick from Phoenix in 2031. The exchanged pick going to Phoenix is a second-round selection for this year (2025), which will be the least favorable between those held by Denver and Philadelphia.
Nick Richards leaves Charlotte after five seasons with averages of 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds over his tenure of 221 games played for the team. This season alone saw him achieve averages of 8.9 points, alongside notable contributions on defense with an average of 1.2 blocks per game.
Richards was initially drafted by New Orleans Pelicans before being traded to Charlotte during draft night for a future pick.
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