Hornets refused to include Cody Martin, Jusuf Nurkic in Nick Richards trade with Suns

The trade that went down yesterday between the Phoenix Suns and Charlotte Hornets was almost a lot bigger. Nick Richards and a pick went to Phoenix, and Josh Okogie and three picks went to the Hornets. If the Suns had had their way, Jusuf Nurkic and Cody Martin would've also been involved.
Suns wanted Cody Martin for Jusuf Nurkic as part of Nick Richards trade
"Phoenix was looking to include Jusuf Nurkic in the trade talks for Nick Richards and coveted swingman Cody Martin, league sources told @hoopshype." 🤔
— /r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) January 16, 2025
However, @MikeAScotto notes the Hornets were not inclined to absorb Nurkic's $19.38M guaranteed salary for next season. pic.twitter.com/SDbem6Cvpt
According to reports, Nick Richards isn't the only player the Suns wanted out of Charlotte. "Coveted swingman" Cody Martin was on the Suns want list as well. They also reportedly tried to include Jusuf Nurkic in the deal to move off one of their worst contracts, but Charlotte wasn't interested in taking the $19.38 million guaranteed salary for 2025-26.
The Hornets did pretty well in this trade for themselves, but it's a good thing they didn't meet the Suns on their terms. The Suns just don't have the trade assets to make a package worthy of both Richards and Martin. Now that they've sent over a few picks, they have just one more tradeable second-round pick. Their 2031 first-round pick is also available, but that's mostly all Phoenix has to play with.
The Hornets will likely be able to trade Martin for a nice package later on, so it's good that they didn't burn their two biggest assets in one move. They also did well not to take on Nurkic. He's been disappointing this year and, as mentioned, has a massive salary for next season. If he were on an expiring contract, this would be a different story.
Considering how the trade could have gone, what went down seems to be a pretty ideal swap for the Hornets. It also paved the way for a career night for center Mark Williams, who now has no more competition at the five.
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