 Richards withKentucky in 2019 | |
| No. 2 – Phoenix Suns | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1997-11-29)November 29, 1997 (age 27) Kingston, Jamaica |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | Kentucky (2017–2020) |
| NBA draft | 2020: 2nd round, 42nd overall pick |
| Drafted by | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Playing career | 2020–present |
| Career history | |
| 2020–2025 | Charlotte Hornets |
| 2021 | →Greensboro Swarm |
| 2025–present | Phoenix Suns |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Nicholas Richards (born November 29, 1997) is a Jamaican professionalbasketball player for thePhoenix Suns of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He playedcollege basketball for theKentucky Wildcats.
Born and raised inKingston, Jamaica,[1] Richards attendedJamaica College (JC)[2] and competed in football, volleyball and track and field before being discovered by Andre Ricketts, aNew York City-based basketball scout, in the summer of 2013 during a basketball camp in Jamaica.[3] Ricketts brought him to the US, where Richards attendedSt. Mary's High School inManhasset, New York. He transferred toThe Patrick School inHillside, New Jersey in 2014.[4]
He was ranked a five-star recruit in the class of 2017 (byESPN) and committed tothe University of Kentucky in November 2016.[5] He was UK's first commit in the class of 2017 and chose Kentucky overSyracuse andArizona.[3]
Richards played in the2017 McDonald's All-American Boys Game,[6] scoring two points, grabbing two rebounds and tallying two blocked shots in 14 minutes of action.[7] Participating in the 2017Jordan Brand Classic, he had ten points and three boards in 16 minutes of play.[8] Richards was picked to play for the World Select Team at the 2017Nike Hoop Summit.[9] He saw 19:29 minutes of action during the game, scoring 12 points and grabbing three rebounds.[10]
Richards had then-career-highs of 25 points and 15 rebounds on November 22, 2017, contributing to the Wildcats' 86–67 win overIPFW.[11] He averaged 5.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as a freshman but saw his playing time decrease as the season went on.[12]
Richards posted 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore and led the team in blocks. Following the season, he declared for the2019 NBA draft but opted to return to Kentucky.[13]
On November 8, 2019, Richards scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Kentucky defeatedEastern Kentucky 91–49.[14] He had 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks on January 4, 2020, in a 71–59 win overMissouri.[15] Richards had 25 points including the two clinching free throws and 13 rebounds on January 25, in a 76–74 overtime win overTexas Tech.[16] On February 4, Richards set a new career-high with 27 points on an 80–72 win overMississippi State.[17] At the conclusion of the regular season, Richards was named to the First Team All-SEC.[18] He averaged 14 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game.[19] Following the season, Richards declared for the2020 NBA draft.[20]
In the2020 NBA draft, Richards was selected by theNew Orleans Pelicans 42nd overall and immediately traded to theCharlotte Hornets in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick.[21] On November 30, 2020, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Hornets.[22] Richards was assigned to theGreensboro Swarm and made hisNBA G League debut on February 21, 2021, scoring 26 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. During the 2020–21 NBA season, he saw minimal playing time, appearing in 18 games for the Hornets with an average of 3.5 minutes and.8 points per game.[23]
On December 6, 2021, Richards scored a season-high 12 points, alongside five rebounds and two assists, in a 127–124 overtime loss to thePhiladelphia 76ers.[24]
On October 19, 2022, Richards scored 19 points, alongside ten rebounds, in the Hornets' season-opening 129–102 win over theSan Antonio Spurs.[25] On October 23, he scored a then career-high 20 points, alongside eleven rebounds and two blocks, in a 126–109 win over theAtlanta Hawks.[26] On March 22, 2023, Richards signed a three-year, $15 million contract extension with the Hornets.[27][28]
On January 27, 2024, Richards scored a career-high 26 points, along with 13 rebounds in a 134–122 loss to theUtah Jazz.[29]
On January 15, 2025, Richards was traded to thePhoenix Suns alongside one future second-round pick in exchange forJosh Okogie and three second-round picks.[30] Richards made his Suns debut three days later, putting up a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds off the bench in a 125–121 win over theDetroit Pistons.[31] He ended up becoming the first center in Suns franchise history to record a double-double of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in his debut game while coming off the bench.[32] On January 25, Richards recorded a near 20/20 double-double with 20 points and a career-high 19 rebounds (15 of them coming from the first half, tying a previous season-high of 15 he had in a previous match against theBrooklyn Nets[33]) in a 119–108 win over theWashington Wizards in his home debut in Phoenix.[34]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Charlotte | 18 | 0 | 3.5 | .444 | .000 | .636 | .6 | .1 | .0 | .0 | .8 |
| 2021–22 | Charlotte | 50 | 5 | 7.3 | .667 | — | .698 | 1.7 | .3 | .2 | .4 | 3.0 |
| 2022–23 | Charlotte | 65 | 9 | 18.7 | .629 | 1.000 | .749 | 6.4 | .6 | .2 | 1.1 | 8.2 |
| 2023–24 | Charlotte | 67 | 51 | 26.2 | .691 | .000 | .737 | 8.0 | .8 | .4 | 1.1 | 9.7 |
| 2024–25 | Charlotte | 21 | 9 | 21.0 | .561 | .000 | .678 | 7.5 | 1.3 | .3 | 1.2 | 8.9 |
| Career | 221 | 74 | 17.4 | .649 | .250 | .726 | 5.5 | .6 | .2 | .9 | 7.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Kentucky | 37 | 37 | 14.7 | .616 | – | .718 | 4.4 | .2 | .1 | .9 | 5.1 |
| 2018–19 | Kentucky | 37 | 3 | 12.1 | .598 | – | .690 | 3.3 | .2 | .1 | 1.3 | 3.9 |
| 2019–20 | Kentucky | 31 | 30 | 29.6 | .642 | – | .752 | 7.8 | .2 | .1 | 2.1 | 14.0 |
| Career | 105 | 70 | 18.2 | .627 | – | .728 | 5.0 | .2 | .1 | 1.4 | 7.3 | |