The Miami Heat may have handed the Philadelphia 76ers a center name worth watching a little longer than expected.
Nick Richards looked like he was off the board after landing with Miami last week, especially after reports surfaced that he had been working out in Heat territory and wearing Heat gear. But the move may not be as final as it first appeared. According to Spotrac, the $2.4 million deal Richards signed is non-guaranteed, which gives the Heat an escape hatch before opening night if they decide to move on without eating more than $2 million.
That wrinkle matters for the Sixers because center depth remains one of the biggest questions on a roster that’s otherwise loaded for 2026-2027, with major additions like Jaylen Brown and LeBron James already in the mix.
Right now, Philadelphia is set to sort through its backup center situation behind Joel Embiid with Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti. Bona is entering his third season with the team, while Hukporti arrives after two years with the New York Knicks.
The Sixers also had Johni Broome in the picture before sending the former Auburn standout to the Los Angeles Clippers to keep Jabari Walker and add Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Bona and Hukporti both bring upside, but they’re still unproven. If neither gets off to a fast start in 2026-2027, pressure will build quickly for Philadelphia to add another big man through free agency or a trade. Richards could become part of that conversation if his training camp and preseason stint with Miami doesn’t stick.
He’d bring experience to the table. Since 2020, Richards has played in 305 games and made 114 starts, averaging 7.1 points and 5.8 rebounds. That’s more than Bona and Hukporti combined.
Still, there’s a catch. Richards has been in the league for years, but he hasn’t been part of a playoff series.
Bona’s postseason work is at least somewhat known, while Richards remains something of an open question. That leaves the Sixers with a simple dilemma: is he the kind of veteran they should be targeting?
And even if the answer is yes now, it may not be the same answer later if he’s available again once Philadelphia has more financial flexibility. At that point, the Heat would have already decided he wasn’t worth keeping.
For now, it’s just another name for the Sixers to track. And with roster changes not expected until deeper into the season, there’s time for that list to keep growing.
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For Philadelphia, the issue is bigger than another former player taking a shot on a podcast or television segment. It speaks to the same nagging uncertainty that has followed Embiid through much of his prime, with Max Kellerman also among those who have raised similar concerns about his approach and durability. As long as the Sixers are built around Embiid, every comment like this lands with extra force because it cuts straight to the one question that never seems to go away. [Read more 🡒]