Nick Richards, the former Kentucky Wildcat big man and a third-year player for the Charlotte Hornets, has signed a new contract worth $15 million over three years. The agreement was announced by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on Wednesday night. By signing this deal, Richards will avoid becoming a restricted free agent this summer, meaning he will continue to play for the Hornets.
Richards was drafted by the Hornets in the second round, with the 42nd pick, of the 2020 NBA draft. Since signing he has struggled to make an impact on the team but his numbers this year are improving.
During the 2022-23 season so far, Nick Richards played 60 games for the Charlotte Hornets, averaging 18.5 minutes per game. He scored an average of 7.9 points per game, shooting 62.0% from the field on 3.0 made field goals out of 4.8 attempted. He’s also shooting nearly 75% from the line.
Richards was also active on the boards, grabbing an average of 6.3 rebounds per game, with 2.3 of them coming from the offensive end and 4.0 from the defensive end. Defensively, Richards averaged 1.1 blocks per game, and he committed 2.4 personal fouls per game.
The Hornets are clearly impressed by Richards’ progress and have decided to offer him a new contract to keep him on the team. The new contract is worth $15 million over three years, which is a significant amount of money for a player who was drafted in the second round.
Now that the Hornets have secured Richards’ future, they must decide whether to offer an extension to PJ Washington, another former Kentucky player who is approaching restricted free agency this summer. Washington has been a key player for the Hornets, and his contract situation will be closely monitored.
