Exclusive: Nick Richards wants to achieve this career-first with Heat, Giannis

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Exclusive: Nick Richards wants to achieve this career-first with Heat, Giannis

Zachary Weinberger, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sat, Oct 3, 2026 ·

5 min read

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Exclusive: Nick Richards wants to achieve this career-first with Heat, Giannis appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

Boca Raton, FL – With the Miami Heat sporting a new-look team heading into the season, there's no denying that the main attractions in acquisitions in the offseason were stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson. As the Heat look to build chemistry with their new stars , one under-the-radar signing is veteran center Nick Richards.

After the trade was made for Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis , there was a need to add depth to the center position on the roster, which Miami addressed with Richards on a one-year, $3.1 million non-guaranteed deal. Still, his roster spot isn't 100 percent certain, as the salary becomes guaranteed if the Heat keep Richards for the regular-season opener on Oct. 21 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

What Nick Richards wants to prove to the Heat

Speaking with ClutchPoints in a one-on-one interview, Richards wants to prove to Miami that he can make an impact in winning, with the goal for him being to participate in the postseason, which he hasn't done in his six seasons in the league.

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"For me, I feel like I could contribute on a winning organization," Richards said Thursday at training camp at Florida Atlantic University. "I haven't been on a playoff team since I've been in the NBA, and I think that this team has a really good chance to make it, and I just want to do my best and to just play my part, no matter how small it is, just to be a part of that team."

Starting with the Charlotte Hornets after being drafted with the 42nd overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft, he played there until he was traded to the Phoenix Suns in January of 2025. Richards was then dealt to the Chicago Bulls in February of this year, making 20 appearances for the team and averaging 9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

Heat's Bam Adebayo on how Nick Richards is standing out

If there is one aspect of Richards' game that the Heat wanted, it's his high-energy and rebounding, which were echoed by Bam Adebayo in describing what he saw from the 28-year-old so far in training camp.

"Oh, just the energy he brings, extra possessions, running the floor, lobs, dunks, and you know he's really working on his game behind the scenes," Adebayo said to ClutchPoints on Friday.

The minutes haven't always been there for Richards in his NBA career, but his rebounding has always been a consistent trait, and when looking at his career per 36 minutes instead of the typical 48, it's productive.

Richards has averaged "11 or more total rebounds per 36 minutes in four straight seasons and four or more offensive rebounds per 36 minutes in three of the last four seasons," via the Miami Herald. What's even helping Richards improve his game more is when working alongside other big men on the team like Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, and Bobby Portis Jr., as he's picking a part their brains on and off the court.

"I mean, for me, I can just feel myself getting better every day just going against these guys," Richards said. "You know, they've all got way more experience in the league. I mean, they've all been into the playoffs, just asking them questions, seeing how they approach the game, and seeing what their mentality is when it comes to going at it at practice, going in the game, what they want to do to get better every single day, and I think that's really what the key is for me."

His best season came in the 2023-24 season with the Hornets, averaging 9.7 points and eight rebounds per game while shooting 69.1 percent from the field.

Heat's Nick Richards approach altered by Giannis Antetokounmpo

No doubt playing alongside a player like Antetokounmpo can help elevate any player's production on the floor, as Richards says he's "going to make everybody's life easier." Aside from the play on the court, Antetokounmpo is helping Richards' approach to the game in itself.

"Just the way he's accomplished so much in this league already, and he attacks every single day," Richards said. "Like he's still trying to prove himself, you know. I think just seeing a guy like that, how accomplished he is, and seeing the way he attacks every single day, you know, just ties me in thinking a different type of mindset."

This could end up being an underrated signing for Miami, depending on his contract status ahead of the regular-season opener, as he provides the fundamentals from a back-up big. Even head coach Erik Spoelstra would sing his praises on Thursday, saying that he "already looks like a different player than he did last year."

"He's in great shape, so I think when you look at him physically, he already looks like a different player than he did last year, and that's allowing him to make more plays, more offensive rebounds, more pursuits, better sprints in the open court, and he's acclimating very quickly to how we want to defend pick-and-rolls; it gives us a different coverage than the other bigs," Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints.

At any rate, it remains to be seen how Richards' role in Miami will look as he'll have the preseason, starting Saturday night against the Toronto Raptors, into the opener on Oct. 21 to prove he belongs.

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