The Milwaukee Bucks need center help, but the question of where they can get it from has loomed large over the last few weeks. The Phoenix Suns, who traded for Mark Williams and drafted Duke's Khaman Maluach within a matter of minutes, may have a possible solution in Nick Richards, who just became the odd man out in the desert.
Bucks need a low-cost big, and Phoenix has one
Richards likely just became expendable.
First off, now it's unclear whether or not Phoenix will even guarantee Richards' contract, which needs a clear yes or no answer within the next couple of days. If they do not, he'd become a free agent. That might be the best case scenario for the Milwaukee Bucks, who could likely get him for a minimum deal to beef up the center spot.
If the Suns keep Richards by guaranteeing him, the Bucks could still go after him via trade. Quietly acquired in the Kyle Kuzma-Khris Middleton trade, Milwaukee has a $7.2 million trade exception. This allows them to take back a player with that salary or less without having to send any out. Richards' salary for next season is an even $5 million, so he'd fit right into that.
Richards is more Jericho Sims than Brook Lopez. He's an athletic 7-footer who does most of his damage right by the hoop. Richards would be an upgrade over Sims, even if it's slightly, coming off a year where he averaged 9.3 points and 8.2 boards per game. The 27-year-old could help the Bucks embrace a new era more focused on athletic, young, rim-running big men.
As much as he's done for the franchise, it simply feels like Brook Lopez won't be back with the Bucks after he got benched in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. He still has value, but it's unclear just how much the Milwaukee Bucks want to retain him. He will have plenty of suitors, as will Bobby Portis, so the team could need bodies at center.
To be blunt, the market this summer, whether that's through trade, free agency, or the draft, is not robust with centers. The Milwaukee Bucks won't have many options to address their glaring need. Richards could be a low-risk, low-cost big man who could help give this team some needed depth, whether it's via free agency or trade. They must monitor the situation.
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