Nick Richards walking out the door opens up a world of possibilities for Moussa Diabate. The center on a two-way deal made waves with his early season output as he tormented opposing big men on the boards with relentless energy and inch perfect positioning on long rebounds.

The Hornets are sending Richards and a second-round pick to Phoenix for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks, league sources confirm to The Observer on Wednesday. The Observer reported the mutual interest between the two teams while the Hornets were in Arizona on Sunday.

The Charlotte Hornets traded backup center Nick Richards and a second-round draft pick to the Phoenix Suns for guard Josh Okogie and three second-round draft picks on Wednesday night