J-RICH HEADING TO SUNS IN FIVE-PLAYER DEAL
The Phoenix Suns acquired swingman Jason Richardson, forward Jared Dudley and a 2010 second-round draft pick from the Charlotte Bobcats for swingman Raja Bell, forward Boris Diaw and guard Sean Singletary.
What does it give the Phoenix Suns
Interstingly, Richardson would have been a great match for the run-and-shoot system of now-gone head coach Mike D'Antoni. Regardless, he is a nice scoring upgrade for the Suns, and will likely provide twice as many points as the departing Bell. He is not as tenacious a defender, but has more star-power than the departing trio (something Kerr seems to covet). Dudley is a solid all-round forward who will likely come off the bench and be a regular contributor, essentially replacing Diaw in the frontcourt.
What does it give the Charlotte Hornets
This trade will likely please head coach Larry Brown, as he is a defense-first guy and that's what the Bobs are acquiring in Bell and Diaw: stopper power. Neither is much of a scorer anymore, but both are versatile and tough defenders (which the team needs at both shooting guard and power forward, respectively). This deal won't likely help the NBA's lowest-scoring team improve on their measly 89.8 points-per-game output, however, so they are obviously hoping the overall defense will improve enough to make up for even less offense. Meanwhile Singletary has starter tools but is still somewhat raw, and will be behind young point guards Ray Felton and D.J. Augustin.
Fantasy impact
