The Miami Heat plucked a possible center option for the Philadelphia 76ers off the open market last week. After hearing that Nick Richards has been working out in Heat territory, wearing Heat gear, it was only a matter of time before he would be on the Heat's roster.
Sure enough, the Heat scooped up Richards. It seemed like the Sixers could cross the 29-year-old big man off their list of potential center targets for the future, but not so fast.
The one factor that keeps Nick Richards in play
It turns out that Richards' run with the Heat could be short-lived. According to Spotrac, the $2.4 million that Richards signed for is non-guaranteed. If the Heat decide they want to cut ties with Richards without paying up, they can do it without losing over $2 million if they cut him before opening night.
For the Sixers, that's a situation worth keeping an eye on, as their center depth is currently the biggest question on the star-studded 2026-2027 roster, which includes key additions such as Jaylen Brown and LeBron James.
What are the 76ers currently working with?
Behind Joel Embiid, the 76ers will host a backup battle between Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti. Bona is heading into his third season with the Sixers, while Hukporti joins the team after two years with the New York Knicks.
Although the Sixers had Johni Broome on the books ahead of his sophomore effort, they shipped the former Auburn standout to the Los Angeles Clippers in order to keep Jabari Walker on board, while adding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the roster.
Bona and Hukporti are young centers with upside--but still have a lot to prove. Anything other than a quick start in 2026-2027 will force the masses to urge the Sixers to sign a player or trade for one. There is a chance that Richards will be available, depending on how his training camp/preseason run with Miami goes.
Experience is an advantage there. Since 2020, Richards has played in 305 games, picking up 114 starts. He averaged 7.1 points and 5.8 rebounds over that time. That's more than Bona and Hukporti combined.
Of course, there is a disadvantage for the seasoned veteran. Despite being around that long, Richards hasn't sniffed a playoff series. We know Bona's deal in the postseason to some degree, but Richards is a mystery. Is he the right type of veteran the 76ers should be targeting?
And even if the answer is yes now, would it be the same if he is available when the Sixers have the financial wiggle room a couple of months down the line? After all, that would mean that the Heat deemed him not good enough to stick around on their roster.
There will be a lot to think about over time--and the 76ers will have plenty of it. Since the roster isn't expected to see changes until they are a little deeper into the season, Richards is simply a name to keep an eye on.
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