Nick Smith Jr. is in the midst of a playing time renaissance. The 27th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has quickly developed from a seldom used bench guard into a key piece in the Charlotte Hornets’ rotation as a key cog in Charles Lee’s attempts to pull his team's offense out of the league’s basement.

The Phoenix Suns acquired Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards and a 2025 NBA draft second-round pick on Wednesday in exchange for wing player Josh Okogie and three future second-round NBA draft selections. Richards is averaging 8.9 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game this season, in 21 minutes of action per game.

The Hornets are sending Richards and a second-round pick to Phoenix for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks, league sources confirm to The Observer on Wednesday. The Observer reported the mutual interest between the two teams while the Hornets were in Arizona on Sunday.