The 76ers have already made plenty of noise this offseason, but their work is nowhere close to finished. The front office still has time on its side, and with a season coming that leaves this group plenty to prove, the roster needs to be tightened up wherever possible.
One area that still deserves attention is the center spot. That is where Nick Richards comes into the picture.
Richards, 28, opened last season with the Suns before being moved at the trade deadline to the Bulls. Even with that change, Chicago does not appear to be making much of an effort to keep him in free agency, which creates a clear opening for Philadelphia to step in.
His production was solid in limited run. In 14.6 minutes per game in 2025-26, Richards averaged 5.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks. Those numbers stand out even more when you consider that he never really settled into a steady role until the Bulls were already trying to lose games.
That kind of profile fits a need in Philadelphia. Joel Embiid is still expected to miss a significant number of games next season, not because of injuries alone, but because the 76ers will have to sit him at times. That means the team needs reliable insurance behind him, especially if it wants to avoid more trouble when its star center is off the floor.
Right now, the 76ers have some young players who can help at center, but none of them look like a clear-cut backup answer. More options would give the coaching staff flexibility, and Richards could provide that.
He would also fill a different kind of void. With Andre Drummond gone in free agency, Philadelphia lost a big body who could bang inside. Richards is not Drummond, but he still brings size and presence around the rim, which could help address the rebounding issues that have lingered for the team.
There is also a fit in the way he plays above the rim. The 76ers need finishers who can catch lobs and convert when defenses are locked in on their stars, and Richards offers that kind of vertical threat.
Philadelphia may have already had a strong offseason, but there is still another move worth making. If Richards is available cheaply, the 76ers should not let that chance slip away.
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The move reflects how sharply the Celtics have re-evaluated their future, with the organization clearly choosing to build around Jayson Tatum and treating him as the centerpiece going forward. However the rest of the roster settles, the ripple effect is obvious: a rivalry that once lived inside one locker room now carries into the conference race itself. [Read more 🡒]