Hopefully he leads us in that area. Just controlling the paint.” Durant on Josh Okogie: “I really appreciated how Josh approached the game and his love for his teammates. I wish him the best.

Allowing Josh Ogokie to gather himself ... it was definitely a whirlwind but these guys embraced me, showed me love,” Okogie told The Observer. “So, it was easy just to kind of get acclimated.”

PHOENIX -- Newest Phoenix Suns center Nick Richards won't be suiting up tonight against the Washington Wizards. After being acquired Wednesday from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks, Richards is listed on the injury report as out (not with team).

The Hornets will be extremely depleted for this contest, and Okogie will start at small forward due to the absence of Josh Green (foot). Okogie is averaging 10.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game over his last five appearances off the bench.

UNC had to come back to beat Boston College in OT on Saturday. Did that get them back during this challenging season?

The Hornets acquired Okogie and a 2026 second-round draft pick ... He could find himself behind Brandon Miller, Josh Green, Cody Martin and Nick Smith for minutes on the wing in Charlotte.

Phoenix Suns' starting center Nick Richards had 20 points and a career-high 19 rebounds in their 119-109 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday.

The Phoenix Suns (19-20) face the Washington Wizards (6-32 ... which traded former backup forward Josh Okogie for former Charlotte center Nick Richards on Wednesday. Richards has not joined ...

Charlotte Hornets forward Josh Okogie (12) celebrates during the second quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Spectrum Center. Scott Kinser USA TODAY NETWORK Besides providing a much ...

The Phoenix Suns' new starting center dominated the paint with 20 points and a career-high 19 rebounds in a 119-109 win over the Washington ... from Charlotte for Josh Okogie on Jan. 15.

Okogie ended with 19 points (6-11 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 4-5 FT), two rebounds, two assists and four steals across 25 minutes during Monday's 112-107 loss to the Lakers. This was Okogie's second-best scoring effort of the season.

The Phoenix Suns (19-20) play the second of their five-game road trip at the Washington Wizards (6-32) on Thursday.