"Put Nick Richards jersey in rafters" - Suns fans rave over $5 million center's 21-pt debut after struggling with Jusuf Nurkic's decline

Nick Richards made his Phoenix Suns debut when his new team went up against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. Richards previously played for the Charlotte Hornets.

Phoenix offered Charlotte Josh Okogie and three second-round picks in exchange for Richards and one second-round pick. Phoenix's new center is currently signed to a three-year contract worth $15 million and is expected to make $5 million this season.

In his Phoenix Suns debut, Nick Richards exploded with a double-double to help them secure the win. Richards added 21 points and 11 rebounds, which was what Phoenix needed especially with Jusuf Nurkic no longer being as efficient as he used to be. Nurkic is still out due to injury, which makes Richards' arrival timely as he fills in the shoes of their starting center.

Fans on social media were impressed by Richards' Suns debut and commended the former Hornets player for his performance. Here's what some fans had to say on X, formerly Twitter:

"PUT NICK RICHARDS JERSEY IN THE RAFTERS."

"Knew he was gonna change life for them."

Here are other fan reactions on X:

"Any player traded from a Charlotte team just shows how good they actually are when they get traded," one said.

"Funny is richards was a really good center just wasn’t utilized to the fullest," another said.

"Where are all the people in the comments from a couple days ago saying the Suns got robbed? Check my feed. I told yall," one asked.

"Unbelievable you have no idea how excited I am with this new pick up 😭😭😭😭😭," one tweeted.

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Nick Richards dazzles in Suns debut

The Phoenix Suns took on the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. While Mason Plumlee acted as Phoenix's starting center with Jusuf Nurkic out of the rotation, Richards stepped to the occasion and proved his worth to his new team.

Richards helped Kevin Durant and Devin Booker secure a 125-121 victory on Saturday. The new Phoenix center put up a double-double performance by adding 21 points and 11 rebounds. It's a huge surprise to many considering how Nick is only averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. The numbers he put up against the Pistons are undoubtedly a huge upgrade compared to his usual figures.

If Nick Richards can maintain the same performance he displayed on Saturday, then Phoenix might've finally found the perfect void filler for Jusuf Nurkic.