Knicks Could Land Suns Backup Center in Low-Key Deadline Move

The New York Knicks have an opportunity to strengthen their injured roster at the Feb. 5 trade deadline, and they could go after Phoenix Suns backup center Nick Richards.

In a mock trade that would send Guerschon Yabusele to the Suns, Luke Duffy of FanSided suggested that the trade would benefit everyone involved and get the Knicks closer to excellence.

"Given he's playing less than 10 minutes a night for the Knicks, you have to think they wouldn't mind letting him go for a rental in Richards, especially one who can help them on the boards," Duffy wrote. "The Knicks kill opponents on the board, grabbing the fourth most in the league at 46.2. It is a part of their identity, and they have one of the best in the business in Mitchell Robinson."

Nov 24, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns center Nick Richards (2) reacts against the Houston Rockets in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"But he has had his injury issues and Richards looks like the ideal guy to take 10-15 minutes off him each night in order to save him for the playoffs."

Richards for Yabusele

Richards, who is 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, is averaging 9.6 minutes per game this season with 3.3 points per game and 3.5 rebounds in 26 games. Yabusele, who the Knicks signed in September, has come up short this season and is logging similar stats over his six games in New York, averaging 9.8 minutes with 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds and making him look like a predictable trade deadline dump.

An anonymous Eastern Conference general manager recently broke down Yabusele's potential value on the trade market, and the one-to-one big man trade he pointed out as an unlikely possibility may make Richards their most practical move.

“They’re definitely looking for a backup big guy and the market is going to be pretty thin on those,” an anonymous Eastern Conference general manager said, via Heavy's Sean Deveney. “They have been wanting to get another Isaiah Hartenstein kind of deal going and they’ve sort of been chasing that but that was lightning in a bottle."

Jan 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) warms up prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

“It’s probably not a situation where the Knicks can trade Yabu for another big guy straight up, but they could trade him with a second round pick to kind of dump off his salary, then look to bring in someone else. But he will have value."

As for shoring up Robinson, who is still recovering from an ankle injury, the trade would help them save him for more crucial games down the line. The Knicks would be happy to lose Yabusele, who is a liability at present, for an inexpensive rental to eat up some minutes for their injured big. Not inspiring, perhaps, but logical.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!