The Miami Heat have landed a center the 76ers had at least some reason to monitor.
Nick Richards is off the board, with ESPN’s Shams Charania reporting Thursday that Miami is giving him its 14th roster spot ahead of training camp. The move ends any lingering thought that Philadelphia might be able to sneak in and add the 28-year-old big man as veteran depth behind Joel Embiid.
For the Sixers, the fit was never simple. Their financial situation would have made a Richards addition costly, even with an open roster spot available.
Bringing him in likely would have meant cutting someone else loose. Philadelphia has already shown how it is handling that kind of roster squeeze, choosing to keep Jabari Walker - who has only a small guarantee for the upcoming season - rather than waive him after trading for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and sending sophomore center Johni Broome out instead.
That said, the idea of Richards sticking around on the free agent market long enough for the Sixers to pounce had at least some life to it. Now it’s over.
Richards’ path to Miami has been a winding one. He spent part of the 2025-2026 season with the Phoenix Suns, where he appeared in 28 games and averaged 9.1 minutes. He then finished the year with the Chicago Bulls, logging 22.4 minutes per game over his final 20 outings while putting up 9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds.
Across his career, Richards has played in 305 games. Before his time with Phoenix, he spent five seasons with the Charlotte Hornets. He brings plenty of regular-season mileage, but not much postseason experience.
Philadelphia still has real uncertainty at center. Adem Bona has been with the team for the past two years and had his share of ups and downs while splitting backup minutes with Andre Drummond. Ariel Hukporti is on the same NBA timeline as Bona, having spent the past two seasons with the New York Knicks.
The Sixers may still look to address the backup center spot before the NBA trade deadline. For now, though, the chance to bring in Richards before camp is gone.
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