Things are looking up for the Phoenix Suns on the basketball court these days. The same can’t be said for Jusuf Nurkic.

The Phoenix Suns have made a trade. No, not that trade. Jimmy Butler remains a member of the Miami Heat for the time being, but even as the Suns continue to try to pry him away, they have managed to make a deal of another sort by acquiring Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards along with a 2025 Denver Nuggets second-round pick for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks: two from the Nuggets (2026 and 2031) along with a Suns original (2031).

One NBA executive joked about Suns owner Mat Ishbia having a new rule made for him with the Kevin Durant trade possibly backfiring.

Kevin Durant scored 29 points, Nick Richards added 20 points along with a career-high 19 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns held off the Washington Wizards 119-109 on Saturday night.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Stephen Curry were voted as the backcourt representatives in the Western Conference.

WATCH: Timberwolves vs. Mavericks airs nationally on ESPN, fans can also watch on DirecTV Stream (free trial). LEARN MORE: DirecTV’s MySports beta is the newest sports streaming platform: Here’s what you need to know

The Phoenix Suns continue five-game road trip Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

As part of the third annual NBA Rivals Week, the Mavericks will face a grueling stretch with rematches against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels had a breakout performance in their win against the Dallas Mavericks.

Dereck Lively II is the Mavericks' starting center when he's healthy and not in foul trouble, but it's worth having a quality backup for those concerns. But Gafford is making a little over $13 million this season and is likely viewed as a much more valuable asset than Maxi Kleber.

The Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets kick off an early slate of NBA games on Martin Luther King Day with a noon ET tip at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

The Dallas Mavericks have lost five straight road games, having not won away from American Airlines Center since their win in Phoenix over the Suns on December 27th. They'll look to break that ...