There won’t be any easy avenues to secure some reliable veteran depth behind Joel Embiid during the 2026-2027 NBA season. That’s especially the case if the Sixers hoped to add somebody like the 28-year-old center Nick Richards.
After spending some time with the Chicago Bulls, Richards has been on the NBA free agency market for quite some time. Considering the Sixers’ financial situation at the moment, adding Richards at this moment would’ve forced the Sixers to cut ties with somebody else, despite having an open roster spot.
Clearly, the 76ers see something intriguing in Jabari Walker, who only holds a small guarantee for the upcoming season. When the Sixers made a move for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, they chose to trade away the sophomore center Johni Broome, rather than cutting ties with Walker by waiving him.
But there seemed to be a small chance that Richards could stay on the free agency market long enough for the 76ers to scoop him up. This week, we can close the book on that idea.
A Sixers target finds a new home
The rumors are all true—Nick Richards has been spending time working out with the Heat, as they are now officially giving him a contract to join the roster for the 2026-2027 season.
ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news to the league on Thursday, noting that Richards is getting Miami’s 14th slot on the roster ahead of training camp. It’s been a busy week for the Heat, who are making key changes to stack their chips ahead of what they hope will be a championship run.
Did the Sixers miss out?
It’s hard to truly say, because the interest in Richards for Philly at this time seemed to be non-existent. The Sixers likely need another center to join the frontcourt, but they are banking on Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti to show them something they don’t know.
Richards just spent half of the 2025-2026 season with the Phoenix Suns. He averaged just 9.1 minutes per game in 28 games. He joined the Chicago Bulls for his final 20 games of the season. With 22.4 minutes per game, the veteran center averaged 9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds.
Overall, Richards has 305 games under his belt. He also played for the Phoenix Suns after five seasons with the Charlotte Hornets. He has plenty of regular season experience, but does lack it in the postseason.
The Sixers have plenty of question marks at the center spot. Adem Bona played for the team for the past two years and had some ups and downs while sharing backup duties with the veteran center, Andre Drummond. Ariel Hukporti is on the same NBA timeline as Bona, playing for the New York Knicks for the past two seasons.
There is a real chance the 76ers are looking to address the backup center spot well before the NBA trade deadline. But for anybody hoping for a Nick Richards addition before camp, they can kiss that scenario goodbye.
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