Last month, the Suns traded Josh Okogie and three second-round picks to Charlotte for 7-footer Nick Richards, who was a backup to Williams, and a second-round selection. Richards became the starting center in his second game with the Suns after posting 21 points and 11 rebounds in his Suns debut on Jan. 18 at Detroit.

“I’ll use ‘toxic’,” Shelburne said, describing the Suns’ locker room after a tough trade deadline that saw most players floated in deals. “That shootaround, I heard, was very awkward, very weird because everyone was on pins and needles wondering what they were going to do.”