Bradley Beal and Nurkic were benched for the Jan. 6 game at Philadelphia. Nurkic played that game and the next against Charlotte in the second of a road back-to-back, but Suns coach Mike Budenholzer didn't play him the next two games against Atlanta and Utah.

The Suns traded Josh Okogie and three future second-round picks Wednesday for Richards and a second-round selection. Wearing No. 2, Richards joined the Suns (20-20) Friday in Detroit and was ready to make his debut Saturday against the Pistons (21-20) at Little Caesars Arena.

Richards had one of his best games with the Suns on Wednesday since being traded to Phoenix. The 27-year-old big man made a big impact on the glass with a season-high 15 rebounds, which helped his new squad secure the blowout win against Brooklyn.

Phoenix saw major contributions from the megastar duo of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker - as the pair combined to score 71 points. The ultimate difference between a win and a loss very well could've been thanks to a phenomenal debut from recently acquired C Nick Richards.

The Suns have acquired Nick Richards ahead of the NBA trade deadline, leading to rumors about Jusuf Nurkic's future.

The Suns made a move to acquire Nick Richards from the Hornets, but some people are more skeptical of the move than expected.

Richards - coupled with rookie stud Oso Ighodaro - will inject a very pointed surge of athleticism into the Suns' lineup. Last season Nick Richards had more dunks (120) than Nurkic and Plumlee combined (100) in 1000 fewer minutes.

Just three days after being traded to the Phoenix Suns, former Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards already seems destined for an increased role with his new team. In his first game with the Suns, Richards was instrumental in helping them pull off a 125-121 victory.

The Phoenix Suns' center rotation was in a dire state recently. Phoenix hopes trading for Nick Richards from the Charlotte Hornets will help ease their concerns.

Check azcentral for live updates of scores, highlights, and statistics during the Suns-Pistons game. Suns' new big Nick Richards thrives in 2nd quarter. Devin Booker scored 10 of

Suns center Nick Richards scored 21 points off the bench in his on-court debut as Phoenix picked up a 125-121 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.